


Episode I – The Orphan and the Queen

by EmmaShalForever (thokin)



Series: A Tale of the Jedi Called The Savior [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Abusive mother-daughter relationship, F/F, Star Wars crossover, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-17 22:51:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4684274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thokin/pseuds/EmmaShalForever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once Upon a Time in a galaxy far, far away…<br/>There are disturbances in the Force that speaks of troubling times ahead, of a rising threat against the Jedi. Amidst the slow descent into chaos and confusion two women of different birth, one an orphan and one destined to be queen, will form a connection that transcends worlds and might lead to the restoration of peace or the destruction of the galaxy as they know it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Artwork Episode 1 the orphan and the queen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4687268) by [DarthSayahSwag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthSayahSwag/pseuds/DarthSayahSwag). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tremendous thank you to my amazing Beta, forgetthesun, for constantly challenging me and pointing out all the flaws. I've learned so much from you and it's been such a joy to watch the story grow and unfold.
> 
> Also, a huge thank you to SayahSwagRebranded for the amazing art to my story. 
> 
> AN: Some basic knowledge of the Star Wars Universe is advised for this story, but I think most of it will make sense even if you haven't.
> 
> AN2: To those familiar with Star Wars: This is more of an alternate story than a parallell story to the movies. This one asumes the movies didn't happen, or parts of it didn't happen, as, for the sake of trying to be as authentic to the Universe as possible, it was easiest to set it in the timeline of the movies.

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 2, 59 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

Emma is nine and one quarter the first time she lays eyes on the most beautiful sad girl she’s ever encountered. She can’t be her senior by more than a few years - five at most she guesses - but the brunette sits perfectly poised in her chair; unlike Emma who can never seem to sit still, her body always in jitters. The masters have told her it’s the midi-chlorians in her blood, providing her with the connection to the Force, that makes her body feel so restless. They also said the feeling will calm when she learns to think of it as an involuntary function of her body and begins connecting with the Force more effectively. Really, she just finds it weird and a little gross that there is something alive inside her that she can’t see.

She’s on her way to their planetary lessons with the Archive Master when she feels a disturbance in the Force; a turmoil. It’s not a feeling she’s used to and not a particularly pleasant one. Kinda like that one time Neal smuggled Jawa Juice inside the Academy and she almost threw up at the spicy, sharp taste on her tongue. 

She stops short, looks around curiously, and sees the girl, hands in her lap, expression blank and dark eyes staring resolutely ahead at nothing. On the surface she looks the perfect picture of calm. But Emma can sense that inside her emotions are a whirlwind of anger and despair and fear and confusion. And she’s drawn to her like a young Ewok to a shiny object, her feet moving before her mind can fully comprehend what she’s doing. 

“Hi!” she offers the brunette, wincing when the girl jumps at the echo of her voice in the silence around them. 

The rest of her group has left and she’ll be late for class, will get in trouble for sure, but she can’t find it in herself to care when her senses are telling her it’s  _right_ to stay. And besides, Master Yoda, as old and wise as he is tiny and green, is always telling her to try to listen to those feelings. 

The girl looks around quickly, eyes filled with trepidation, before she ascertains that they are alone and lets her gaze settle on the blonde.

“Hello,” she answers back uncertainly and Emma grins, pleased at being acknowledged by this most mysterious, pretty girl.

She straightens and tries to puff out her chest, the effect muted by the many layers of her training robe, as she announces, “I’m Emma, I’m gonna be a Jedi one day, who are you?” Master Nolan has told her how pride can be a dangerous thing and that she has to be mindful of it. Yes, she wants to impress the girl, but she’s not  _lying_ to her. They all come to the Academy with the hope of someday achieving Knight or Master status. It's not like she's going to turn to the dark side or anything just for telling her that.

“I’m Regina,” the girl looks around again and Emma wonders who she’s looking for and why she looks so scared. “And Mother says one day I will be Queen.” 

She can’t help the way her eyes widen in awe. “You’re a princess?” 

There’s a sudden commotion behind them and Regina lets out a soft gasp, body jerking back as she hurries to resume the same rigid position the blonde found her in. Emma goes still as well, a heavy feeling of dread blossoming in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes widen and her heart jumps as she realizes that these feelings can’t be her own, but are being projected by Regina. She knows it because there’s a pull in her stomach towards the girl, almost like a physical bond tying them together. How is that possible? In the many lessons she has to attend each day, she’s never heard talk of something like this; of connecting with or sharing someone else’s feelings. Is it normal?

“The Council will do well to remember what it is we’re offering,” Emma hears as she turns around and looks at the dark haired woman walking her way. She's dressed in what may be the most elaborate gown Emma's ever seen and doesn't spare her so much as a glance as she swishes past her. 

Emma furrows her brows in annoyance. She shouldn’t be ignored just because she’s still young. She’s at the Academy because she has great potential with the Force, just like everyone else here, and she’s sure she’s at a higher level than most of the students her age; maybe even better than some of the older students who have trained longer. The Masters don’t believe in publicly ranking students, but she knows. She once overheard Master Nolan, the Jedi who found her and brought her to the Jedi Academy on Coruscant, checking up on her progress with Master Dooku.

“Come along, dear,” the woman instructs , pausing in her stride for only a moment and Regina scrambles to do as told, casting a terrified glance at the blonde girl before walking as fast as she can without breaking into a run to follow the domineering woman.

Emma realizes two things that day. One, the woman she’ll later learn goes by the name of Senator Cora Mills is terrifying and two, she’s never heard anyone use a term of endearment so coldly, sounding more like a threat or punishment than affection.

Regina’s terrified eyes will haunt her dreams for years to come.

 

* * *

_Week 6, Month 4, 55 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

“Swan,” Master Blanchard says with a sigh even though there’s a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Emma!” she admonishes when she gets no reaction, barely containing her chuckle when the blonde in question jumps and turns quickly to give her a sheepish look.

“Please try to pay attention, even though I’m sure that table over there has  _so_ many interesting things to tell you.” Emma’s expression shifts to one of embarrassment. It’s not her fault that she doesn’t share the Master’s love of the galaxy’s flora and fauna. Unless it’s something that can kill her, she isn’t all that excited by it.

“It’s not that I’m not taking your valuable lessons to heart, Master Blanchard,” she offers back immediately, voice less than sincere, but not enough to warrant more than a raised eyebrow. “I was just…connecting with the Force.” Emma shrugs her shoulders innocently when a few other students snicker quietly.

It’s not a well-kept secret that she sometimes struggles with her connection to the Force. She’s had a few experiences with being able to channel it – one time when she was getting supplies for Master Nolan, she sensed the intentions of some thieves before she reached them - but scarcely during their training. It’s almost like it only presents itself to her whenever she’s in danger. And that’s fine and well, but doesn’t exactly make her look good in front of the Masters. The truth is that she’s never really had the patience for meditation or reflection, but she’s good at feigning it. It’s the physical classes she’s always excelled in and she’s one of the top students when it comes to wielding a training saber. 

“I see. And what exactly did the Force tell you?”

“That we have important visitors.”

Master Blanchard rolls her eyes. “Since you’re obviously  _so_ well attuned to the Force, I want you to write me an essay about how it was used to discover the crystals we now use to power Lightsabers." She gives Emma a pointed look. "By next lesson.” 

Emma groans and wills herself to pay attention to her teacher’s voice and not the uncomfortable pull in her gut that she’s started associating with trouble. She hadn’t actually lied. There is this nagging feeling in the back of her mind, like she’s experienced this before. She just can’t for the life of her place where it was she felt it, or what it could mean here and now.

#

She dreams of Regina that night – the girl she met three years ago - her fingers desperately reaching out for Emma as Cora Mills towers over her, eyes pleading with her to do something, anything, to make her stop. Emma tries to reach out, to scream, but finds herself rooted to the spot, unable to do anything as the woman lifts Regina into the air with the Force. Regina’s fingers claw desperately at her throat as she starts to choke and Emma tries with everything she has to summon a Force Push so she can get Cora away from her daughter. Still, nothing happens and she watches with growing despair as Regina promises between futile gasps, “Please, Mother, I’ll be good!”

Emma wakes in a cold sweat, heart beating erratically and a scream in her throat. When she manages to calm herself, she wonders why she suddenly dreamt of her now. Could this girl be somehow related to the strange feeling she'd gotten during Master Blanchard's lesson?

In a flash she remembers how she’d been able to feel what Regina felt on the day they met, but had been too scared to ask anyone about it and subsequently forgotten about the incident.

She jumps out of bed and gets dressed quickly, the need to find answers driving her towards the Archives with a sense of urgency. It’s the middle of the night so at least she’ll be mostly alone, free to search for information without distractions or prying eyes.

She spends three hours searching before she finds a holobook that describes Force Bond; the only thing that could make any sense of her experience.

It’s a fickle explanation at best, because what it says is that Force Bond most often happens between Jedi Masters and their apprentices. But that connection takes years to achieve and bases itself on the understanding and knowledge of each other. Only in extremely rare circumstances have there been known to be forged such bonds between other Force-sensitives.

So how can she have anything like that with Regina? Emma doesn’t know the girl, not really, and Regina isn’t likely attuned to the Force either. If she was, she would surely be training at the Academy. So what does it mean?

The Masters like to tell them that The Dark Side is often considered the easier path to achieve what one wants quickly, but at a great cost because one loses oneself. They say it’s the struggles of The Light Side that makes the end result so much better. Or something like that. It’s really quite complex and she’s not sure she’s old enough to fully understand it yet.

So if she does share a Force Bond with Regina, does that mean the quickness and ease is a warning that she might be falling down the darker path?

No, Emma reminds herself with a shake of her head. The Dark Side comes from emotions and feelings such as hatred, greed, jealousy or fear. And that has nothing to do with her curious experience almost three years ago. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

"So awake your mind, find sleep I could not," a voice says and Emma jumps, eyes looking around frantically before they fall on the petite, green figure of Grand Master Yoda. He may look old and fragile, with his white hair and cane – he  _is_ technically old at almost 850 years – but Emma has seen him fight once for show a few years ago, and there’s nothing elderly or weak about him as he jumps and spins around. He’s the perfect example of how you should never judge someone by their looks.

“Just doing some research, Master Yoda,” she replies, biting her lip as she contemplates asking him for help. He’s been a Jedi for centuries so if anyone knows anything about what it means that she connected with Regina it has to be him. But what if it’s something bad? If it was normal she wouldn’t be having such a hard time finding information about it.

"Unrest inside of you, I feel," he hums and Emma shifts uncomfortably at the way his eyes seem to look through her, or rather,  _into_ her.

“It’s nothing, Master Yoda,” she assures him quickly. Her brows furrow in confusion when his eyes suddenly get a far-away look and he starts mumbling silently to himself. She doesn’t know what she should do – he’s clearly having a vision or something like that, she’s heard about it – and so ends up simply staring at him. It kind of weirds her out, the sensation of him being there with her, but at the same time not being there; his face blank and his eyes dim, as if his spirit isn’t there anymore.

She’s just talking herself into asking him if he’s okay when he, as quick as it started, snaps out of it, eyes becoming clear and alert once more.

“Curious,” Emma hears him mutter, more to himself than her she suspects.

“Master Yoda?” she braves herself to ask, startling when his eyes shoot up to pierce her own in a gaze that unsettles and confuses her.

"Easy is fear, without knowledge." He nods towards the holobook between them on the table. "Read. Answers you find. But first, rest. "

Emma barely resists the urge to run as she makes her way back to her room. She’s exhausted anyway and she’ll have to try to get some sleep so she’s alert enough in her lessons. She finds none as she ponders over what she found and tries to make sense of what happened with Master Yoda.

 

* * *

_Week 3, Month 5, 53 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

It’s the annual Apprentice Tournament and Emma is beyond excited. She's turning 16 this year, which means she’s moving up an age class. It means older, more experienced students and she’s been at the top of her age-group every year since her second tournament. It’s an excellent opportunity for her to try to impress one of the visiting Masters enough to take her as a Padawan.

She’s checking to make sure her training saber is fully operational and laughing with Neal about how she’ll kick everyone’s asses when Master Nolan walks in and guides her to a semi-secluded corner.

“You won’t be competing in the official tournament this year,” he tells her in lieu of a greeting and Emma releases a cry of disbelief.

“But it’s my first year advancing classes, this is my chance to prove my skill.”

“I know,” he tells her, laying a calming hand on her shoulder that she fights to not shrug off angrily. She can’t believe he’s going to deny her this. She’s not a child, she can take care of herself, he- “That’s why I’ve arranged for a feature match against Windu.” 

She gapes at him as her anger vanishes. “ _Mace_ Windu?” she asks slowly as she looks up at him with barely contained desire. He nods and she grins wide as excitement courses through her body. A chance to duel with a Padawan so skilled with the Force, his potential to become one of the greatest Jedi swordsmen to ever live has practically been foretold. It would be almost impossible to defeat him of course, but she’d never find a better opportunity to show her own potential.

She furrows her brows in confusion. “But why does that mean I can’t participate in the other rounds?”

“Trust me,” he starts with a fatherly smile that makes her feel a little queasy as an unfamiliar warmth blooms in her chest. “I know you think you can do almost anything, but I believe you will find this challenge to be more than enough. After all, I expect you to give it your best.”

#

Her whole body is vibrating with excitement and adrenaline. There has to be at least a hundred people watching her - Masters she’s never seen before who have come from afar and a few she knows aren’t Jedi at all, but other parties, come to scout for future alliances and keep an eye on potential players in the wider game of - boring, in Emma’s eyes - politics they play.

It’s hard not to pay attention to the crowd, to stop herself from thinking about what a fool she will look like if she loses too quickly. Fortunately for her this isn’t her first time in the sparring arena and she knows the moment they get the all clear her entire focus will be on her opponent. The training lightsabers are modified to be less devastating than a fully functional one, but it still burns like hell against skin and the welts and bruises can leave you in pain for days. Still, better than losing a limb - or your life - if you fail to parry an attack.

Windu is quite a bit taller than herself, which is to be expected since he’s a handful of years older, but he’s not as intimidating as she feared even with his height and weight advantage. He’s one of the best students for a reason and so she knows there’s no point in presuming she can use this against him. He can no doubt channel the Force to match her agility and speed, possibly even surpass it. 

“Are you nervous?” he asks her with a sincere smile as they wait for the Masters to finish their announcements.

“Not really,” she offers back,shrugging when he eyes her with surprise. “It’s not about winning or losing, but about showing your potential. And if I manage to impress just one Master, that in itself will be a victory.”

His smile widens and he bows his head respectfully. “I think I will enjoy this duel.”

#

There’s a bead of sweat running down her temple as she lays, panting, face-down on the ground. It trails slowly down her face until it reaches her chin and falls. Her eyes focus on the small spot of darkened color it creates where it hits the gravel. She licks dry lips and swallows tightly before slowly starting to push herself up from the hard soil while her mind replays the events leading up to her newfound intimacy with the floor.

_They circle each other slowly as they try to gauge their opponent. Neither is in a hurry to make the first move, but in a tournament to test ones skill it’s unwise to wait too long. Emma is the first to take a swing, her attempt half-hearted just to see her opponents reaction and get them started. Windu makes a few simple strikes of his own, aimed at her left side, which she parries easily. _

_For a few moments they trade artless blows as they try to get a read on the other’s style, see if there’s an opening they can take advantage of. Neither seems to find it and soon they’re back to circling each other carefully._

_“Shall we begin?” Windu asks with an intrigued gleam in his eyes and Emma smirks back before launching into a rapid series of strikes, finishing with a vertical chop at his head which forces him to raise his lightsaber, before spinning into a crouch so she can swipe at his right leg. There’s a split second where it looks like she’ll actually hit before he manages to drop his saber just in time to block._

_“Impressive speed,” he tells her before using the Force to give her a gentle push backwards. She smiles and opens her mouth to respond, but as she does so he lunges at her and delivers a flurry of strikes; at her head, at her right leg, at her left arm. She barely has time to parry and when the fourth strike comes, she sees what will happen before it does, almost as if in slow motion, but unable to prevent it. A split second later she hisses as his lightsaber makes contact with her right upper-arm and she pushes her free hand against his chest to get some distance. Emma’s only half surprised when her push causes him to take two steps back and a third to regain his balance. It usually takes a little more time, a little more danger before she’s able to utilize the Force effectively._

_She assesses the burn quickly - just a small one and the stinging is already fading fast so he barely managed to graze her - before giving Windu her full attention again. She doesn’t want to plan her attack beforehand, suspecting that he’ll be able to read her moves too easily and find an opening if she does. The key to her successes has always been her ability to adapt, to not overthink, but trust her body’s intuition._

_She gives him a brief nod of acknowledgment before she kicks off with her left foot, charging towards him with both hands on her hilt. He throws his training lightsaber at her to thwart her momentum  and she jumps, twisting around so she lands on her feet and can continue onwards. She slashes at his side as soon as she’s close enough and forces him to do a somersault over her to avoid getting hit, so she continues with a 180 spin. His blade is back in his hand, but she strikes unperturbed at his leg to keep him from fully regaining his footing. This time he’s the one slightly behind on the movements and when she follows it up with a quick twirl to his right side, she hears the hissing sound of energy burning it’s way through fabric. She has no time to rejoice before a blast hits her hard in the chest, knocking her off her feet and sending her sprawling backwards._

As she slowly gets to her feet she reminds herself that she should have expected the blast and can only blame herself for her loss of focus. She looks to Windu who nods at her in silent communication to let him know when she’s ready to continue, allowing her a moment to gather herself if she needs it.

She takes a deep, calming breath and lets her gaze travel to the people surrounding them, watching. And then her breath catches in her throat and her heart skips a beat as she sees her.  _Regina._ There’s no mistaking her, even if she is older now.  What is she doing here? Did she come to see her fight? No, that’s ridiculous, they only met once, it’s doubtful the girl would even remember her. 

Emma looks back to Windu again, tries to focus on the fight, and is alarmed to find that she can’t. There’s a dozen thoughts and questions suddenly whirling around in her mind and her eyes widen slightly in concern. Concern that turns into trepidation when he mistakes it as invitation to continue.

_Regina will watch her get humiliated._ She jumps back as he thrusts his saber at her sternum and shoots out her left hand to summon a Force Push, amazed when a wave actually materializes and pushes against him.  _Regina will see how pathetic she is._ She dodges his comeback surge by sidestepping to her left - with a lot more elegance than she usually possess and how did she know it was coming? - before releasing a combination of strikes and swipes towards his arms and legs.  _Regina will think she’s weak._ She blocks his hit and seamlessly does a cartwheel over his head to strike at his back. Windu blocks a moment before the blade makes impact and Emma feels in every fiber of her being what his next move will be before he makes it. When he throws out his hand to channel the Force at her, she meets him with an equal blast of her own and they’re both propelled backwards as their energies ricochet off each other.

Without missing a beat Emma uses the momentum she has when she hits the ground to continue rolling over her shoulder into a crouched position. Windu has done the same and in the next second they’re charging towards each other, lightsabers clashing again and again as they try to find an opening while still parrying and dodging their opponent’s attacks. 

Her breathing is laboured, her heart pounding as adrenaline courses through her body, but there’s something else inside her too. She can feel the Force in every muscle, greater than she’s ever felt it before. She feels like she can do anything, she feels invincible, she feels- her balance shifts slightly as she places her left foot wrong and Windu notices, immediately delivering a slash towards it to push her even more off kilter before blasting her with a Force wave. It sends her flying at least a good ten feet before her back hits the ground at just the wrong angle, forcing the breath from her lungs with a gasp. 

For a moment her vision grows blurry and she hears nothing but a low hum in her ears, like they’re clogged or underwater. Then she manages to draw oxygen and the world comes crashing back in as she starts coughing.

Windu is by her side a second later, crouching down to her level and offering his hand to help her up as soon as her fit stops. She’s grateful for the support as her legs feel a little unsteady when she stands and his aid allows her to hide it from the crowd.

“You have great skill for your age,” he acknowledges with a smile and she inclines her head respectfully at the compliment. “Let’s call this one a draw.” She nods her assent willingly, knowing she’d be unable to offer much of a challenge if they were to go another round. She feels tired, bordering on exhausted in fact, when she allows herself a moment to sense it.

#

The changing room isn’t empty when she shuffles inside, a woman with dark hair and an intricate dress sitting perfectly poised with her back to her, and for a second she’s sure it’s Regina. But then she turns and her stomach drops uncomfortably as she realizes it’s not her, but rather her mother.

“Senator Mills,” Emma states with a courteous bow, noting the slight raise of the woman's brow in intrigue.

"That was a rather impressive display, Initiate..." the woman peters off into an expectant silence, which Emma fills dutifully.

"Swan."

Cora raises her chin haughtily. “If you work hard, you might find yourself presented with greater opportunities than those the Jedi are able to produce for your future.”

Emma smiles politely. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” she replies with a sharp inclination of her head, silently refusing to bow for this woman who clearly thinks herself above her. She’s only too relieved when Master Nolan walks through the door and interrupts them, giving her the perfect opportunity to excuse herself.

“Are you okay?” he asks her as soon as they’re alone and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly at his concerned fatherly voice. 

“Of course I am.” 

He smiles at her and lays his hand on her shoulder. “Good. You did great.”

Emma wrinkles her nose and shrugs her shoulders. “I would have lost.”

“Of course,” Nolan agrees immediately. “He’s older and more experienced, but you showed everyone the extent of your potential. If you keep training it won’t be long until you find yourself in Windu’s place instead of your own.”

“But how can I continue to evolve unless I have a Master? How can I learn more if I’m stuck here without the chance to experience real challenge?” Nolan looks at her thoughtfully. “The Academy can’t prepare me for the unpredictability of the galaxy that I have read about; of men without honor who will cheat at everything in life, of people who won’t see reason and can’t control their emotions.”

“You think you’re ready to train as a Padawan and experience that galaxy?”

She’s careful to mask the want and excitement that bubbles up inside and she answers him as calmly as she can, “I do.”

He squeezes her shoulder and nods his head. “I agree.”

“You do?” Emma blinks at him in disbelief.

“I do. I’ve arranged for you to meet before the Council in two days and if they deem you ready, I will take you as my apprentice.” She can’t hide the excited grin that breaks out at his words.

Later, when her elation has calmed, she remembers Regina and goes searching for her, but she’s already gone. 

And when she sleeps, she dreams of Cora Mills pushing wave after wave of energy at her cowering daughter as she asks angrily why Regina can’t show the same promise as an untrained Jedi. 

#

She’s nervous despite all her training. It doesn’t matter that you’re top of the class if the Jedi Council deems you unready, and she really, really feels ready. She wants to see the world, not stay cooped up at the Academy any longer. She’s ready.

She’s really not ready, she realizes, when they call her name and she almost throws up and trips over her feet to get through the doors leading to the chambers filled with the members of the High Council.

“Masters,” she proclaims, offering her deepest, most gracious bow once inside the circle of Jedi, forcing herself to stand still and calm her racing heart.

“It has come to our attention that you wish to take the Initiation Trials.”

“That is correct, Master.”

“Are you certain you are ready for the life of a Padawan?”

“One can never be certain of anything, Master, but it is my wish to try and my belief that if it is meant to be, the Force will guide me in my success.” She has to hide her pleased smirk when she sees several of the Masters nod in acceptance.

“You are still very young, but your words speak of wisdom…or cunning.”

“Years are just numbers, Master. I am one of the best students at the Academy in my group. When Master Nolan found me, he saw that I had potential.”

“Nor a lack of confidence I see,” another Jedi comments.

“It is not confidence or arrogance, Master, I am merely stating a fact..” She lets her gaze travel between the Masters she can see without having to turn, trying to gauge their thoughts. “With all respect, Masters, I feel I have learned all I can here at the temple. If I’m to further my knowledge and understanding I need to go out into the world and experience the galaxy for myself, not just read about it.”

“We shall see. You may start by repeating the Jedi Code.” 

Emma takes a breath and starts recounting the mantra she’s been forced to repeat each day since Master Nolan found her.

"There is no emotion, " she forcibly slows her breathing, thinking of the meditation exercises she practices every day. "There is peace.”

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge." Emma remembers the awe that filled her the first day she entered the Academy library. Rows upon rows of stored data filled with ancient knowledge and research.

"There is no passion," unbidden, a wave of excitement washes through her as she remembers her fight with Windu and one particular member of the audience which they had. She swallows against the feeling, tamping it down and trying to push away the image of Regina that fills her mind. "There is serenity." It takes her another breath before she can let go of the picture of the beautiful girl.

"There is no chaos," she tries her best not to think about Sith and darkness and the way Cora Mills makes her feel afraid and angry. "There is harmony."

"There is no death," she straightens her back, feeling the familiar energy in her veins begin to hum. She feels calm. Right. "There is the Force."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Years in the Star Wars Universe during the Rise of the Empire era, which is when the story is set, uses a reference to number of years Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY). So we are counting down until 0 BBY, which is when Luke Sywalker destroyed the first Death Star, orbiting around the planet Yavin Prime.
> 
> During the Old Republic era, it was normal for Initiates in the Jedi order who hadn't earned an apprenticeship with a Master when they turned 13, to be sent away from the Academy as it was assumed they would never become a Jedi and served the order in different ways. However, the Old Rebublic Era ceased in 1000 BBY, so I've taken some liberty in regards to Emma's age when she becomes a Padawan. In the earlier days the Jedi thrived so limitations had to be set, but since the numbers of Jedi have waned in the later years it seems legit that they won't be as strict.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

_Week 7, Month 7, 51 BBY - Naboo_

When Emma is almost eighteen, she gets her first chance to travel outside Coruscant since becoming a Padawan and she can’t wait to experience the wild adventures that surely awaits her in the outside world. Not that Coruscant’s lower levels aren’t fraught with dangerous criminals, corruption and desperate people, but it doesn’t teach her to deal with the unexpected.

_After recounting the Jedi Code to the Council they asked her to demonstrate her lightsaber skills by performing one of the more complex training sets they are taught when learning how to fight. It’s just protocol, since she’d already showed them more than enough in her match against Windu._

_Aiding in the court ruling of the theft of a Jedi scroll had been a lot harder. The whole process was slow and tedious and she found herself wondering how Master Nolan didn’t grow bored if this is the kind of situation he faced every day as a Jedi Diplomat._

_In the end, everything went as smoothly as she could hope for, especially considering how hard she found it to feign interest._

She and her Master, Nolan, have been tasked with ensuring the safe transportation of an important political figure who’s received threats of capture – honestly, she can’t be bothered with the boring details, she’s not big on the political thing, preferring to take action instead of balancing a never ending diplomacy – and is shocked when she realizes the object of their mission is the girl she met so many years ago.

Regina is as beautiful as the first time she met her, maybe even more now that there’s definite female curves under the tight-fitting dress, and it leaves her almost breathless with wonder, her stomach acting most peculiar, almost making her feel queasy. Her dress is made from black and a deep red fabric, with swirls of silver running down her arms and across her chest. Her lips are painted the same shade of red and her hair is loosely braided, a few long tresses escaping to create a softer, youthful look to contrast her daring getup. In essence, she's the most stunning sight Emma thinks she’s ever seen.

“Regina,” she breathes, like they’re old friends and didn’t just meet once, almost nine years ago, but the haunted beauty has often been on her mind as she wondered where in the galaxy she was and what had happened to her; secretly hoping for them to meet again one day.

“That’s ‘Your Majesty’ to you, _Acolyte_ ,” she hears a low voice hiss to her right, and she turns to find the awful woman from their last encounter looking at her with disdain. 

Cora Mills has been making quite a name for herself since she visited the Jedi Council, has even managed to become the Vise Chair of the Galactic Senate - which her Master has told her is a popular seat amongst power hungry political climbers as it’s the position that offers the most influence -, but there’s been scarce information to find about her daughter. Emma knows because she’s tried. All she found is that Regina represents Naboo in the Senate, which means she became Queen just like she said she would.

“I’m a Jedi, actually,” Emma offers with a forced smile, baring her teeth as she draws back her robe to reveal the lightsaber at her side. 

She constructed it herself: as the final stage to becoming Master Nolan’s apprentice and a Padawan. Together they travelled to the planet Ilum so she could enter the Crystal Cave and find the power source for her blade.

“Jedi in training,” Nolan corrects with a warning quirk of his brow before bowing to the woman and her daughter. “Vice Chancellor Mills, Your Majesty, we’re here to escort you safely to the Republic meeting. I’m Jedi Nolan and this is my Padawan, Emma Swan, at your service.”

“A pleasure I’m sure,” the woman replies, her eyes saying anything but as she looks at Emma with a cold, calculating gaze.

#

“That woman is a piece of work,” Emma mumbles to herself as she punches the button to open the door to her quarters harder than necessary.

_When the ship took off, the pilot had forgotten to alert them before going into hyperspace and the acceleration past light-speed had propelled Regina into her. She'd steadied her on impulse, hands gripping velvet clad hips, their faces so close their noses almost touched._

_For a moment it had been as if time stood still as their eyes locked, the noise and movement around them blurring. Emma had been all too aware of Regina’s breath ghosting over her own face as she exhaled and without thinking she’d let her eyes fall down to burgundy painted lips. Then Regina had shivered and pushed away, breaking their trance and forcing everything to come crashing back._

_Emma had glanced around nervously, posture stiffening, when she realized everyone was staring at her; Nolan with a look of mild curiosity and confusion, and Regina’s mother with a sneer, eyes shadowed and filled with contempt._

_She’d offered Regina her apologies for any discomfort she might have caused while grabbing her and the woman had been quick to brush it away. Emma had hoped it would be enough to appease Cora, but when she’d chanced a look her way, the woman had been staring at her in a way that made her feel like she was being silently threatened._

She stops short in surprise at the figure rising quickly from her bunk as she enters.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Regina apologizes with an uncertain smile and Emma waves her words away immediately.

“No, no, you’re not intruding, I was just caught unaware is all.”

Regina’s lips quirk into a smile that does weird things to her insides. “Shouldn’t a Jedi know when someone is in their chambers?” she teases and Emma feels her ears grow hot.

“We can’t always sense everything around us, that would be too exhausting. Being in tune with the Force requires energy and balance and concentration.”

“There’s no need for defensiveness, Jedi. I’m not here on business,” Regina assures with the barest shrug of her shoulders.

“Then what are you here for?”

“You called me by name when you saw me earlier. Have we met before?”

Emma’s heart plummets into her stomach as she realizes the girl she’s never forgotten doesn’t remember her at all. “Once, Your Majesty, many years ago. I guess I’m just not that memorable, although the same cannot be said for you.” She gives a half mocking bow in her hurt before continuing. “If that’s all, I’d like to get some rest before we arrive. We must be prepared for anything.”

The quirk on Regina’s lips leaves quickly, her face turning expressionless at the rude dismissal and Emma mourns the loss silently as she berates herself for speaking before thinking; not the first time it’s gotten her in trouble and no doubt far from the last.

“I apologize for wasting your time,  _Padawan_ . Goodnight," Regina spits, pushing past her brusquely and Emma releases a frustrated sigh once she's gone, hitting the palm of her hand against her forehead in frustration.

“You’re an idiot, Swan,” she grouses before jumping into her bunk and marveling at the barest scent of apples that permeates the air around her. It’s not a common fruit on Coruscant, but she decides the sweet, fresh smell is one she enjoys. She inhales deeply and closes her eyes.

In her dreams she sees haunted eyes and sun-kissed fingers trying desperately to reach for her.

Regina doesn’t speak to her again and Emma doesn’t dare try to initiate conversation under Cora Mills’ watchful eye.

Which turns out to be a wise decision when the woman pulls her aside once the meeting is done and they’ve delivered the pair safely back to Naboo, assignment completed.

“I’ve noticed the way you look at my daughter,” the Vice Chancellor starts, feigning nonchalance. “I’d advise you to stay away.” 

It’s said with an innocent smile, but it’s clear that it’s a threat and Emma’s never reacted particularly well to those or to people looking down on her, so of course her indignance makes her answer, “Or what?”

The smile disappears from the woman’s face immediately and her eyes grow hard, almost black, as a dangerous gleam enters them.

“My daughter is a Queen,” she tells Emma, voice low and full of condescension. “And you? You’re nothing but an orphan.  _Rabble_. What could you possibly offer her?”

She should just back off, tell her that there’s nothing going on between her daughter and herself. Cora is right of course, Regina deserves the world and Emma isn’t delusional enough to think Regina would be interested in her. But the truth hurts and she refuses to let a bully like Cora Mills know that just so she can humiliate her. And in a moment of insanity she smirks at the woman and suggests offhandedly, “Love?”

“Don’t make me laugh,” the woman replies with an amused huff. “ _Love_ is weakness. Will your love provide roof over her head? Food? Heirs?” She takes a step closer to Emma so they’re almost nose to nose and practically growls at her, “If you care about my daughter at all, you will stay away or else you’ll only end up dragging her down, causing her misery.” Emma grits her teeth and keeps her mouth smartly shut and Cora gives her a smile that’s predatory and all teeth. “It’s a dangerous world out there. You never know when an  _accident_ might happen.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to stay on my guard,” Emma retorts with a quirk of her lips and a mocking inclination of her head. “It’s been a pleasure, Vice Chancellor.”

 

* * *

_Week 4, Month 9, 50 BBY - Space, en route to Coruscant_

A year passes by before she sees Regina again, but she doesn’t stop thinking of her, of how they parted in less than ideal ways, and the woman continues to haunt her dreams. It’s always a variation of the same thing; Regina Mills desperately reaching out for her, frightened and alone. Sometimes the brunette’s mother is there too, torturing Regina with one of her ‘lessons’ - that’s what she’s started calling it in her head. 

She wonders what it means, but doesn’t dare ask her Master. Are the dreams visions? Are they a warning of things to come? She’s fairly sure if it is, she’s not nearly trained enough for it to be normal to have them. Are they perhaps sent to try to corrupt her mind? The dreams don’t feel dark in origin but she'd rather not take the chance.

She’s just turned nineteen and has been granted her first solo assignment, and can’t help the grin that appears when it’s Regina that shows up; even if the brunette keeps scowling at her whenever there are no prying eyes. This time at least, there’s no Cora watching their every move.

“Where’s mommy dearest?” she asks Regina once they’re safely inside the private space shuttle and it comes out a lot more condescending than she intended. Apparently she feels more sourly about their last encounter than she thought.

“Her presence was required elsewhere. Mother is a very sought after woman and so she can’t always accompany me on my travels.”

“I’m surprised she lets you travel alone.” Emma silently berates herself for the mocking tone. She’s goading for a fight, but it’s not what she really wants. It’s just so hard talking to her. Whenever she looks at the brunette it’s like she gets tongue-tied. All she seems to think about is how beautiful she is or what her dreams might mean, and then she stumbles. Regina is always poised and well-spoken and she, she feels like an idiot sometimes; a smitten teenager trying desperately to appear cool. 

Regina bristles, lips pursing in displeasure, before she collects herself and admits reluctantly, “She doesn’t. I have my personal escort when Mother is unavailable.”

Emma barely suppresses her yelp of surprise at the head that pops into view behind Regina.

“Ah, there you are, Your Majesty.”

Regina rolls her eyes at Emma before turning around and plastering a smile on her lips. “Sidney!”

“Not trying to hide from me, are you?” He asks sweetly, but the almost desperate look in his eyes raises Emma’s hackles immediately. There’s something… _off_ about him.

“I would never,” Regina exclaims, one hand moving to her chest in mock offence. Emma is pretty sure Regina would have if she’d been able to. She makes a mental note to watch the man extra carefully.

#

Sidney Glass is a total creep, Emma decides, when she finds him loitering outside Regina’s room. She’s almost certain he was trying to get a peek at the woman, especially since he almost fell over himself in his haste to get away. Emma huffs in displeasure and tries to decide whether she should mention it to Regina while she takes up a post outside her door to make sure Sidney stays away.

“What are you doing?” Regina asks two hours later, startling Emma out of her half-sleep as she springs to her feet from where she’d rested her back. Man, guard duty is a bitch.

“I was just making sure you were safe.”

Regina raises a pointed brow in interest and slight amusement. “We’re on my private ship. What exactly could be dangerous in here? I’d be more concerned with what’s out there.”

Emma bites her lip and runs a nervous hand through her golden locks before blurting out, “Sidney! I found him hanging outside your quarters and he’s acting strangely and there’s this look in his eyes and-”

“Emma,” Regina interrupts softly, a half smile playing at the corners of her perfectly shaped lips, and she falls silent immediately. It’s the first time her name has been uttered by that voice and it sends a tingle down her spine.

“You’ve never called me by my name before,” she mutters awkwardly.

“I apologize, but you were rambling away and I figured it would be the easiest way to get your attention.”

“Oh no, it’s fine. I liked it,” Emma offers with a flash of almost white teeth before growing suddenly bashful and adding softly, “I mean, you always have my attention.” She tries to backtrack as soon as she realizes what she just said. “I mean, I’m sure you get plenty of attention from people, for your beauty and…other things.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Regina answers, but her voice has returned to polite, her face a mask, and Emma doesn’t know what to make of that. “And your concern regarding Sidney is noted, but unfounded. His infatuation is harmless, but ensures he serves me well.”

The words are cold - cruel if Emma’s being honest - and doesn’t sound so much like Regina as something Cora would say. But then again, she hasn’t really been around the brunette enough to really know her, even though it feels like she does. It makes her feel confused and uncertain and Emma excuses herself as cordially as she can, fleeing to her room where she tries, and fails, to meditate and center herself.

#

"That’s not happening," Emma hears Regina snap curtly as she walks through the doors of the ship's communication-room and sees the woman talking to a holo-image of a middle aged, extravagantly dressed man; a politician no doubt. She acknowledges Emma’s arrival with a barely perceptible nod and the blonde points to the door she just came through, silently asking if she should leave. Regina shakes her head just once in the negative.

“Please, Your Majesty, think of your people.”

Regina’s brows furrow, her lips already pursed tightly, and it’s clear to Emma she’s finding the whole thing rather annoying. “I  _am_ thinking of them, which is why I’m telling you that under no circumstances will I allow it.”

“Your Majesty-”

“Enough!” Regina cuts off whatever plea he is about to make, voice sharp and daring him to disobey her. Emma can’t help but grin. Regina like this is a vision, posture taught and voice sharp; authoritative. Maybe politics wouldn’t be so boring if she got to watch Regina chew into pompous men with poise and grace. “You’ve made your offer and I’ve rejected it. I suggest you take your leave while you’re still in possession of some kind of dignity.”

Emma can see the man’s jaw working as he clenches his teeth tightly in anger, before he dips his head in a curt, stiff bow.

“Perhaps in the future you will see reason,” he tells her before cutting the feed.

Silence fills the room for a moment before Regina releases a huff of breath. Emma blinks and forces herself out of her daze, sternly reminding herself that the brunette will no doubt find it weird if she keeps gazing stupidly at her, even if it’s in awe. She’s not a child.

“Trouble?” she asks after subtly clearing her throat to remind Regina of her presence.

“No more than usual.” Regina waves away her concern, but Emma simply raises her brows slightly and waits patiently. It doesn’t take long before frustration makes the woman elaborate. “There’s a Senator,  _King George_ ,” she starts, tone mocking as she spits his title which Emma interprets to mean he’s not really royalty at all. “He’s made quite a name for himself after buying large lands on Malastare and siding with the Gran, but they’re having some issues with the natives; rebel Dugs.”

“I know of them. They’re quite famous for their tempers and their podracing skills.” Emma chimes in with contained excitement and Regina shoots her a look that makes Emma feel like she’s uncultured for showing enthusiasm for something so potentially dangerous and uncivilized.

“He’s proposing to build an orbital docking station for Naboo and trade fuel in return for help with his problem.”

Emma furrows her brows thoughtfully. “Dug’s aren’t exactly known to be easy to reason with, so how does he plan-” she stops abruptly as she realizes what Regina means. “War isn’t a good solution to anything.”

“ _I_ know that.” Regina exclaims hotly. “He claims they’re already at war, but I won’t help with murder when it can be avoided. I’m  _not_ going to put the lives of my people in his hands just so he can make a bigger profit, even if it means he’s going to make trading harder for us.”

Emma nods her agreement and makes a mental note to inform her Master so the Council can keep an eye on this King George.

“Knowing him, he might only want that station for Naboo so he can use it later for an invasion or raids.”

“That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” the blonde questions gently. It’s hardly likely that one man will go to open war or try a coup; the Galactic Senate would never stand for it.

Regina’s look is scorching as she tells her gravely, “Desperate men are dangerous. Even more so when they stand to lose everything they own.”

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 2, 49 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

“Ah, there you are, my young Padawan,” Master Nolan exclaims exuberantly with a smile, humor shining in his eyes at his theatrical greeting.

Emma smirks back at him before bowing with a flourish and offering back her own enthused, “Master.”

“I come bearing excellent news, my apprentice.” Emma eyes him in genuine interest. “A new mission!”

She grins wide. “What is it?”

“Another mission escorting Senator Regina Mills, Queen of Naboo,” he tells her with a look that says he knows something she doesn’t. “You’re to ensure no harm befalls her to, during or after the Senate meeting.”

Emma’s face falls into a grimace at the thought of having to endure boring politics, before she shrugs it away as she reminds herself that at least she’ll get to spend some time with Regina and they didn’t part on bad terms the last time, as opposed to their first.

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 2, 49 BBY - Naboo Spaceport_

“You’re late,” Regina says curtly, hands on satin-clad hips as Emma hurries inside the ship. “We were supposed to take off fifteen minutes ago.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Emma puffs, a little winded, as she bows before her. ”There were some complications with-”

“Never mind, there’s no time to waste,” Regina cuts her off with a haughty sniff before spinning around to address her escort, never far from her side. “Sidney, we’re ready to leave.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll see to it immediately.” His bow is deeper than Emma’s and as he departs he shoots her a displeased look that makes the blonde want to stick out her tongue at him. She knows it would be entirely too childish and impudent, but the man really grates on her nerves, always tripping over his own feet to please Regina, offering her honeyed words that make Emma shudder, looking at her like he would want nothing more than to kiss every inch of her body. That last one might be her own imagination, but whatever; the guy is a cretin and she doesn’t like him at all. The feeling seems to be mutual.

“This is the third time I’ve escorted you,” Emma states as they find their seats to prepare for take-off.

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious,” Regina dead-pans, shooting her a look of annoyance.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d dare say you like my company and requested me.”

“It’s a good thing you  _do_ know better then,” Regina tells her with a mocking laugh, but Emma pays it no mind. Rather, she focuses on the woman’s body language and how her eyes don’t meet her own, how there’s the faintest color in her cheeks, despite her make-up. And she smirks to herself, pleased, as she realizes she can’t be that far off; the thought of Regina asking for her personally making her heart skip an excited beat.

 

* * *

_Week 2, Month 2, 49 BBY - Senate District, Coruscant_

“Quite the view, don’t you think?” Regina asks as she sidles up next to an awestruck Emma who glances over and nods her agreement before letting her eyes trail back to the sight of the thriving hub of Coruscant’s Senate district.

“It’s different to the Temple grounds for sure,” Emma agrees, wondering how far she would fall if she were to step outside their quarters in one of the taller skyscrapers overlooking the Senate building. “What about you?” she asks, turning slightly so she can divide her attention between Regina and their view of the city. “Do you like it here? Or do you prefer your home planet?”

“I like both, I suppose,” the brunette answers with a small smile, eyes never leaving the horizon. “They’re both very different planets, but there’s a beauty to each nonetheless. Naboo is filled with lakes, forests, mountains, fresh air; it’s calm, soothing and refreshing.” Emma can’t tear her eyes away from Regina, her voice softer than she thinks she’s ever heard before. It almost takes her breath away. “But Coruscant is so full of  _life_ , always moving, always changing. You can almost taste the energy.” There’s a fire rising in Emma’s chest at the passion with which Regina speaks and she couldn’t agree more with her choice of words. She can feel Coruscant’s vitality practically vibrating through her body, pulsing within her.

“ _Beautiful_ , ” Emma breathes, eyes still glued to the other woman, and when Regina turns her head to lock eyes with the blonde there’s a heat in her cheeks, like she knows Emma wasn’t only referring to her description of the landscapes.

#

Emma jerks awake with a gasp to the feeling that something is very, very wrong. It’s still dark and she can barely see anything, but she fumbles out of her bed anyway, grabs blindly for her lightsaber that’s right next to the bed, and stumbles to the door. When she opens it her eyes are already starting to adjust better and she hurries as quietly as she can to Regina’s bedchamber, her stomach rolling uncomfortably in warning and telling her that she has to be quick. She foregoes knocking on the door on account of her urgency and instead pushes it open with her shoulder as she lights her saber and barrels inside. In the second it takes for Regina to jerk awake and open her mouth to cry out, Emma has taken two quick steps towards her bedside and swung her lightsaber.

“What  _was_ that?” Regina asks, disgust lacing her voice as she looks down at the severed slug-like creature.

“A Kouhun, favored by assassin’s for their fatal, quick-working toxin.”

“King George,” Regina growls angrily.

“Go back to bed, Your Majesty,” Emma starts as soothingly as she can. “You’re safe. I’ll get someone to clean this up and contact my Master. We’ll figure out who did this.”

“There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep now,” Regina answers petulantly, crossing her arms defiantly.

“You can take my room. You should try to sleep some more so you’re rested for the meeting in the morning. Until we know who ordered your assassination it’s important to appear healthy and unaffected.”

Regina huffs in displeasure, but doesn’t argue, instead muttering angrily to herself as she stomps inside Emma’s temporary bedroom, slamming the door.

Emma doesn’t try to get any sleep herself, instead standing guard, exchanging messages with her Master about anything that might help an investigation, until dawn breaks and Regina emerges. Her Master has already started making enquiries as to who would dare attack the Queen, and she tells her so as they ready themselves for a long, tedious day of Senate meetings. Several times she assures Regina that she’ll keep her safe, until the woman sends her a glare and Emma wisely chooses to shut up.

 

* * *

_Week 7, Month 6, 49 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

Over the next few months Emma hears whispers among the Jedi about Cora Mills and her daughter, about the shift of power that’s happening in the galaxy; the dangers that seem to be on the rise. Emma tries to keep her ears closed, to not let herself be manipulated by rumors, not worry about Regina and what might be happening to her. About the possible incompetence of her guards and how the investigation of her attempted assassination hasn’t yielded any results.

She dreams of her, but this time it’s different. Instead of a frightened, desperate young woman, Regina is standing on a pile of bodies, eyes shrouded in darkness and cold, cruel laughter spilling from her lips. This time Emma is the one trying to reach out to her desperately, but as soon as she’s close enough to wrap her fingers around fair skin Regina plunges her hand inside her chest and pulls.

Emma wakes up screaming, clawing frantically at her chest and trying to draw sufficient breaths. A moment later her Master is by her side, whispering words in her ear that she can’t comprehend, but that somehow ground her. After a minute she’s able to breathe somewhat normally.

“What was it?” he asks softly. ”What did you see?”

She swallows once, twice, before she’s able to answer him. “It was a dream, just a dream.” She shivers as the image of Regina's cold, dark eyes flashes in her mind. “A nightmare.”

“About what?” he presses and there’s an urgency to his voice, like he knows something more is going on.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

“Emma, _about what_ ?”

“Regina,” she croaks, feeling suddenly exhausted. “There were bodies and she…my heart,” she adds, mimics ripping out her heart, and he’s up and running before she can blink twice. She has no idea what’s going on.

#

“What’s happening?” Emma asks Master Nolan as she strives to keep up with his pace.

“The Council wants to see you,” he mutters gravely and she understands that this can’t be something good. “They have questions and we need you to try to answer them. There’s a connection between you and Regina and they wish to know how deep it goes and how far it reaches.”

“A connection? I don’t understand. They’re just dreams-” Emma fumbles for an explanation, but she doesn’t get a chance to gather her thoughts before she’s unceremoniously shown inside the room.

The Jedi Council grill her for hours, question after question that she tries to answer the best she can -  _When did the dreams first begin? Has she ever been able to change anything in them? What is her relationship with Regina Mills?_ \- but she just doesn’t understand what’s happening; feels as if she’s in a daze.

“What’s going on?” she exclaims in frustration and finally the Council seems to take pity on her, the confusion and exhaustion and worry clear, as they dismiss her. She must be going half mad because she refuses to leave until they’ve promised her that they’ll send word as soon as they know Regina is safe and there’s sure to be some sort of repercussion from that, but she’s not in a right state of mind to give a damn.

Emma fidgets in her room for two hours and forty-three minutes - counting can help calm you sometimes, Master Blanchard told her once, but in this case it only serves to agitate her - before there’s a knock on her door and Nolan enters silently.

“She’ll survive,” is all he tells her, refusing to say anything else even though she threatens and rages and pleads – she apologizes to him a week later once she’s calmed down and reassessed the situation – but she doesn’t know if it’s because he doesn’t know or because he’s not allowed to share with her. 

She wants answers; about Regina, about her dream, about what the hell any of this means. “Patience,” Nolan answers and it’s what she’s been told her whole life at the Academy. Most times she controls herself, but right now it just makes her blood boil as if a blazing fire is running through her veins. 

It takes her two days of restlessness and minimal sleep before she tracks down one of the Master’s of the Council and demands answers. She’s overstepping her boundaries, she knows, but meditating hasn’t worked for shit and there’s a definite disturbance in the Force now that can’t mean anything good if even she can sense it.

Everyone had been tight-lipped when she’d tried gathering information, but from what she’s managed to piece together there’s been a massacre on Malastare and it has to be connected to Regina and her dream somehow. Maybe Regina was right about King George and he grew so desperate he attempted to remove her from the equation. It seems a rash thing to do as it would lead back to him far too easily since he’s the only man of power known to be at odds with Regina who has a connection to Malastare. But if something happened that forced his hand...She has to know what’s going on.

“Padawan, we don’t know exactly what’s happened yet. All we know is that she is alive.”

“Let me go see her then, find out what happened,” she entreats, but he’s shaking his head in the negative almost before she’s finished speaking.

“That would not be wise. It’s clear you are under much strain at the moment.”

She grits her teeth and clenches her fists, but forces herself to bow respectfully, if too curtly, before walking away.

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 7, 49 BBY, Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

She sneaks out in the dead of night. She’ll probably get in a lot of trouble for it, but she has to know, has to try finding answers. And if the Masters won’t give them she’ll just have to uncover them on her own.

She almost gets away with it too, is just passing the last gate, when a shadow catches her attention.

“Leaving so soon?” It’s her Master of course. He might not be the brightest in the Jedi Order, but he has a knack for reading and understanding people so she shouldn’t be surprised after all these years that he knew she would grow impatient and act against orders.

“Master Nolan,” she acknowledges with a nod. He won’t be able to sway her, she won’t let him. Not on this. “I have to go, Master. I need answers. Please don’t try to stop me.”

He steps out into the light and Emma is surprised to see that he is smiling. “I wasn’t planning to. In fact, I was going to offer you the use of my shuttle. Saves you some trouble I believe. I only ask that you be cautious and promise to return once you’ve found what you’re looking for.”

“Thank you, Master,” she breathes, relief evident in her voice and she has the brief urge to hug him, but she quickly shrugs it off as she's not overly fond of physical contact, before she offers her reassurances that she'll be sure to stay safe and continues to sneak away under the cover of darkness.

#

Emma lands on Malastare and finds chaos. Dead people, Gran and Humans alike, are being gathered into piles, burnt flesh and holes where their hearts used to be, and it looks a whole lot like slaughter, like an army has gone through the streets. She pulls her robe tighter around herself and manages to flag down a young boy, getting directions to the hospital. There’s no Regina though. Not that she really expected it. As a Queen it’s more likely she’d be cared for in private, but there’d been a feeling in her gut. Something telling her that Regina might have been lost in all the chaos. 

She has to use her Jedi status - and a tiny bit of Mind Trick - to get the nurse to tell her that she’s been transferred back home after describing how Regina might look. Apparently a man came and collected her. It makes things trickier. Visiting a Queen will attract more attention, and will add to the grievances she'll already be facing before the Council, but she’s come this far. There’s no point in not seeing this through now that she’s chosen this path. 

She makes a half-hearted attempt at questioning people about what happened, but they don’t have much to tell. Most, if not everyone, that might be able to recount anything appear to be dead or in hiding and she finds herself hoping that Regina won’t turn out to have had a part in the manslaughter that’s happened. She won’t know how to feel about that.

She’s greeted by a frazzled and slightly dishevelled Sidney as soon as she lands on Naboo, something she finds peculiar until he offers her his gratitude for the Jedi’s swift response.

“Of course, our duty is to serve the people,” she tells him, choosing her words carefully to cover for her lack of knowledge about the situation. “Tell me what you know.”

“I’m afraid we haven’t learned anything new since we contacted the Jedi Council. Between her visit to Malastare and her return to the Palace here on Naboo, The Queen has disappeared. We assume she has been taken hostage but we have received no contact yet, no ransom.  And we’ve been unable to get in touch with her mother. She might be held captive as well.” 

_Not likely_ , Emma thinks, but she nods her understanding anyway. “Don’t worry, I’ll find her,” she promises and retreats to her shuttle as soon as is polite.

#

“Regina has been kidnapped and the Council was contacted, yet you didn’t see fit to inform me of this?” Emma asks the hologram of Master Nolan curtly, anger and frustration bubbling inside.

“I was just informed myself,” he says with a look that warns her to get herself under control. She takes a deep breath and forces her emotions to the back of her mind as she reminds herself that she is only a Padawan and the Council will keep her informed of only the things they deem necessary. She is under their command. For now. But hopefully, one day soon, she’ll become a Jedi Knight and they won’t dictate her every move. “I have gained the Council’s approval to task you with retrieving her. But if there’s any sign of trouble or that the mission is too big for you to handle alone, you have to retreat and call for support.”

“Of course, Master,” she offers with a bow as she fights a smile. They both know that if she succeeds it will be a big step forward for her on the path to becoming a Jedi. It’s a chance for her to prove that she is ready to take the Jedi Trials and achieve Knighthood.

“Do we have any leads?”

“Nothing yet. Cora seems to have gone underground as well. The council advises you to be wary as we do not know what this means, if anything. She might also be a captive, or she might have orchestrated the whole thing.”

“I’ll keep my eyes and ears open, Master.”

“Try using your connection with Regina. I have no doubts that if anyone can locate her, it’s you.”

She sighs when they end their holo-communication and wonders how the hell she’s supposed to manage that.

#

She’s been trying to meditate for close to an hour. So far she has achieved nothing and the longer she sits there without getting any results, the more frustrated she feels herself becoming. Funny how no one ever bothered to tell her how much harder it is to focus and concentrate when you’re not in the sanctity of the Academy and there’s actual lives at stake. Regina could be hurt right now, could be tortured as she sits here doing nothing. Could be...no, she refuses to even think of what other terrors could be befalling her in the hands of violent kidnappers. She  _has_ to get to her.

There’s a split second where an image flashes before her inner eye and she starts, losing her concentration. She tries to recall what she saw, but it’s useless; it came and went too fast for her mind to interpret anything. She needs to make the picture appear again and last longer this time. And she has an inkling of just how she can make that happen.

With renewed determination she expels all her emotions from her body and clears her mind of anything but the image of Regina. She focuses all her thought and will into making herself believe that it’s  _imperative_ to trace the woman’s whereabouts.

She has no idea how long she sits convincing herself of this new reality, but just as she feels herself start to grow weary and about to give up, another image appears before her; an image of the galaxy, of Hutt Space. It’s definitely better than nothing, but there’s too many planets to search, the whole sector more or less a haven for shady business.  _Closer_ , she demands, the rush of success chasing away any fatigue.  _Which planet?_

It takes a moment, but the next vision she gleams is of Nar Shaddaa, the main hub for illegal trading and piracy within the region. It’s still too vast an area to search, with its many sectors and endless levels.  _Show me where you are, Regina._

A series of rapid images flicker before her eyes; casino’s, cantina’s, spice-dealers and slavers. It has to be the Red Sector. She’s heard about it; the shadiest place on Nar Shaddaa, a harbor for the worst criminals. They’re not exactly trying to make this easy for her are they?

Emma allows herself a moment of pride at her achievement, hoping it’s a sign that her days of struggling to connect with the Force are a thing of the past. Then she records a holo-message for her Master. She informs him of what she’s learned and that she’ll be leaving to find Regina immediately.

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 7, 49 BBY - Nar Shaddaa, the Red Sector_  


It doesn’t take her long to get inside the run-down building.

When she’d landed, she’d started wandering around while drawing on the Force and telling herself that she had to find Regina. It had been almost like an other-worldly experience, like  _something_ inside of her had guided her senses to where she should go. She just  _knew_ somehow.

It’s above one of the brothels that pretends to be a club and whoever hired the kidnappers clearly weren’t very smart or prepared because all the men she encounters seem to be weak-willed. All it takes is a little Force persuasion and they let her in. It’s not her strongest suit as only the most gifted students with the Force have any chance of developing it at the Academy. It doesn’t normally work on Force-sensitive beings and so it’s harder to learn before you start traversing the galaxy, enabling you to utilize the skill. Emma has been told several times that she has potential, but it’s always been in the physical aspects she’s excelled the most.

She did actually manage to overpower Neal once, but only because the Force perceived her to be in danger and reacted. He was trying to convince her that she was attracted to him and instead she made him believe he was on fire. For a second it had felt empowering, like she had limitless energy and could succeed in whatever she might try. But then Neal’s terrified, painful screams pierced the room and the feeling was replaced with nausea and uncertainty as his skin grew pink because his mind - and subsequently his body - really thought he was burning.

She had been sure she would be expelled, that what she’d done was a sign that she would fall to the Dark Side. But instead Neal was the one who had received the greater reprimand once Master Yoda had spoken to them, explaining that the Force was never dark or light, but rather became so based on the intent of the person wielding it. She hadn't meant to hurt him, had simply protected herself; whereas Neal had acted with dishonorable intentions.

Master Yoda then tasked her with reflecting on what she had felt and try to use that feeling to connect to the Force again but she’d been too worried about Neal to be anywhere near successful.

Emma blinks and silently chides herself. She has to stay on guard, be prepared for anything. Just because she got in easily doesn’t mean getting out will be the same. The path in front of her splits into three and she releases a frustrated sigh before closing her eyes.  _I need to find Regina_ , she tells herself, willing her whole being into believing it and hoping the Force will continue to guide her. She smiles, pleased when she feels that left is the definite way to go. She could get used to this; feeling like she can face anything and be able to handle it without problems.

She only meets a handful of guards on her trek through the building and this either has to be a set up or it might be one of the worst kidnappings ever. She doesn’t even have to draw her saber and fight as she’d expected, but simply uses mind tricks to get passed them. 

Regina is close, she feels it. Just around the corner.

There’s a guard stationed at one of the doors and he draws his weapon when he sees her. “It’s okay, I’m allowed to be here,” she tells him with a casual wave of her hand, voice devoid of any emotion. His stance relaxes almost immediately. “You need to use the bathroom,” she adds, grinning internally when he repeats her words and disappears down the corridor. She’s on a roll. Using the Force to help her has never come this easy before but she can reflect on why later. Getting Regina to safety is the first priority.

Emma briefly imagines she’ll find Regina unconscious or hurt, half-starved or tortured as she goes to open the door. But when it opens she is none of those things, sitting stiffly on a lounge in a pale blue dress that reveals her thin shoulders and the upper swell of her breasts. It makes her stop short in surprise as she’s pretty sure someone being held captive should not look so put together. Or regal.

“Emma? What are you doing here?”

Regina’s surprised voice sends a small shiver down her spine and she thinks she sees a flicker of hope in dark eyes, that’s what she tells herself anyway, and she strikes her best casual pose as she informs her, “I’m here to make sure you get home safely, Your Highness.” Regina smiles, then rolls her eyes when Emma makes a dramatic hand gesture before bowing with a flourish.

They only get as far as the next corridor before the guard supposed to be on duty – the one she tricked into believing had to relieve himself - spots them on his way back. She doesn’t have time to summon the Force to mind-bend him again before he’s lifting his weapon, firing. Emma pushes Regina against the wall instinctively – she releases a yelp of surprised outrage – before brandishing her lightsaber. She parries his two next shots, careful to keep their direction away from Regina, before the third one hits it’s mark, rebounding off her blade and hitting him square in the chest. She checks if he’s really dead - a small voice tells her she should take a moment since this is the first person she’s ever killed, but their situation doesn’t really permit her the time - as she listens for any sounds of approaching feet. It’s likely someone heard the shots. No immediate threat is forthcoming though, so she signals for Regina to follow her. Best to get out of there as quickly as possible and hope to avoid any more confrontations.

Emma does a double take when Regina leans down quickly and picks up the dead guard's gun. “Are you sure you know how to use that?” she asks when the brunette raises her brows impatiently at her and Emma realizes she’s staring.

“I may be a Queen, but that’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to defend myself.”

Emma just gives her a look, silently asking  _Are you sure?_ Or maybe what she’s really trying to say is  _Are you certain you won’t just end up shooting me in the back?_ And Regina poses in a perfect combination of annoyed and petulant when she settles her hand on her hip and cocks it. Emma is wise enough to drop the subject, instead drawing a steadying breath as she motions for them to get moving.

#

She knew it was a trap. The moment they step on the ship, they’re surrounded. She knew it went too easy.

“Hello, lass,” the apparent leader says with a leer that Emma immediately wants to wipe off his face. He’s dressed all in leather and missing one hand, a mechanical device attached to his scarred stump instead.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble.” She’s hoping he’s the kind that can see a good deal when he’s offered one. “If you tell me who hired you, I will pay you to be on your way.”

“I don’t think you can match our offer with coins, lass,” he tells her before letting his eyes roam over them both appreciatively. “Although there might be  _other_ ways for you to pay me off.” He raises a brow in blatant suggestion and she feels Regina shudder beside her in repulsion.

“Yeah? Emma’s eyes flash with anger. “Like me not taking your other hand for that appalling proposition?”

His smile disappears quickly. “Is that a threat? Do I need to remind you that you’re outnumbered and have four blaster pistols pointed at you?”

She should probably try to be diplomatic about this, but the Force has been with her from the moment she landed on this planet in search of Regina so she just  _knows_ that what she’s planning will work.

“Really? I only see one.” She gives him a half quirk of her lips as she centers herself and blasts a telekinetic wave around them, knocking out the three other goons. Oh yeah, she’s got this. The leader takes a step back in surprise and almost loses his balance. She can practically feel Regina’s amused and impressed smile next to her.

“If you ever want to see the filthy inside of a brothel again I suggest you get off this ship so I can complete my mission.” She half expects him to disagree and start shooting, but instead he bows mockingly at her before slinking away. 

His quiet departure feels like too easy a victory, but there’s no need to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she removes the bodies of the unconscious men - Regina is no help whatsoever because apparently she can wield a gun, but not help carry anything; _I’m a Queen and a bit more refined_ \- and takes off for the safe house they’ve been assigned on Alderaan. It should fit Regina’s tastes. As far as Emma has learned, the geography of the planet and Naboo’s are pretty similar; forests, waters and mountains.

 

* * *

_Week 1, Month 7, 49 BBY - Alderaan_  


“Do you know where Cora is?” Emma asks once she’s been assured by Regina that she did not sustain any kind of injury during her captivity. Something that looks like fear and betrayal flashes in her eyes before she forces her features into a well practiced mask.

“My mother has not seen fit to grant me knowledge of her whereabouts.” Emma frowns. If that’s not a bullshit political way to say something, she doesn’t know what is. She really has no patience for evasive talk. Even if it’s from someone as pretty as Regina.

“Look, lady, I don’t have time for your sophisticated, sly mumbo-jumbo okay? The council wants to know your role in what happened at Malastare, and if you’re not honest with me they might see fit to detain you. ”

Regina glares at her. “I had no part in the events that occurred there.”

“But Cora did, right?” 

There’s a subtle shift in the brunette’s posture, like she feels suddenly uncomfortable and doesn’t quite know how she wants to respond. There’s silence for a good while before she offers, “I don’t know.”

It doesn’t quite sit right with Emma. There’s definitely something she's failing to mention. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“I know that you’re lying, Regina.”

“Even if I was, there’s no way you’d know.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and raises her chin proudly. “I’m an excellent liar, why do you think I’m in the Senate?”

“Trust me, I know.”

“Does the Force guide you?” Regina asks and there’s a mocking tilt to her lips, a condescending tone in her words. Emma refuses to take the bait.

“Something like that,” she agrees instead with a half smile and a shrug. “Now tell me what it is.”

“I really don’t know anything.” Emma opens her mouth to argue, but a look from Regina tells her she’s not finished yet, so she forces herself to wait. “All I remember for certain is that someone approached my mother. After that things grow fuzzy and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital to that filthy pirate leering over me.”

Emma feels her contempt for Cora grow as she realizes the woman tampered with her own daughter’s memory. Memory wipe is definitely something they’ve been taught is associated with the Dark Side, meaning that it looks like Cora Mills has indeed been corrupted. She’ll have to report this to her Master so he can inform the Council.

#

“How long do we have to stay here?” Regina asks with a hint of disdain when Emma returns from making her report, running a finger over the table-top as if inspecting how dirty it is.

‘Here’ is one of a handful of buildings belonging to the Royal House of Alderaan, anchored to one of the mountains surrounding the lake below with the capital city at its center. It’s a magnificent view, huge windows in almost every room to take advantage of it. And the accommodations are of a far higher standard than Emma is used to. In short, she has no idea why Regina doesn’t find it satisfactory.

“However long the Council deems necessary to ensure your safety.” The woman shoots her an expectant look, one eyebrow raised pointedly, and Emma crosses her arms in annoyance before adding, “ _Your Majesty_.”

“I really should get in touch with the Senate. Or at the very least be able to go home. The palace is well protected.”

“With all due respect, your mother no doubt knows all the entrances to the palace. There’s too many ways for her to surprise us.”

“My mother would never hurt me,” Regina argues, her expression showing her outrage at the blonde for daring to make such an accusation. But when Emma turns away she sees the flicker of doubt and fear in her periphery. She sighs to herself and silently admits that if Regina really isn’t in the loop with Cora, as it looks like she isn’t, this has to be confusing and frightening for her. She should probably cut her some slack.

“Look,” she starts, turning back around. “I know this isn’t an ideal situation for you, but better to be safe and alive, if a little uncomfortable, than dead, right?”

“Of course,” Regina agrees immediately, giving the blonde a ludicrous look for even thinking she might feel differently. “I just find it hard to believe that my mother would do anything so public. She’s always been-” she stops, like she can’t find the right word and Emma is more than happy to offer her own suggestion. 

“Evil?”

Regina shoots her a look of disapproval. “ _Meticulous_ about appearances. Why come out in the open now? Why would she ever do something so horrendous at all?”

“Well, whoever might have known is surely dead by now,” Emma replies with a shrug, regretting her blasé response when Regina shifts uncomfortably and she realizes the brunette probably hasn’t encountered much of the chaos of the lower cities. Not that she has much experience herself, but they’ve been shown and taught and warned at the Academy. Regina was a princess who became Queen and is on the Senate; she’s clearly used to the finer things in life, not the grit and dirt.

“Everything will come to light eventually. Let’s focus on keeping you safe first, okay?”

Regina nods absentmindedly, but her eyes have gone off into another world. Emma wonders what she’s thinking about.

#

“No one has managed to track down Cora,” Master Nolan’s hologram tells her and Emma sighs. 

They’ve only been on Alderaan two days, but already she’s feeling jittery. Regina’s mood has soured exponentially, not being allowed to communicate with anyone and being cooped up, taking it’s toll. 

She knows the feeling all too well. She wants to be out there, searching for Cora, figuring out the truth, protecting Regina from whatever plans her mother has for her. Regina might be in denial about Cora, but there has to be some sort of meaning to the dreams she’s had for so many years and in them the woman always, always, hurts Regina one way or another.

“Queen Regina is growing restless, Master. She needs answers, and frankly, so do I.” The Jedi sighs.

“I wish I could provide them, but until we locate her, there’s not much I can offer. We can’t risk Regina getting hurt. You both have to be patient,” he tells her with a small quirk of his lips, like he knows how hard that is for both of them. Emma nods her understanding and signs off with her own frustrated sigh.

“You just expect me to sit around here and do nothing while I don’t know what’s happening to my people or in the senate?” Regina accuses, making Emma jump in surprise. She was unaware the woman was spying.

“Your safety-”

“That’s bullshit!” Regina exclaims and the blonde’s eyes widen at the profanity she never imagined hearing from someone with her poise. “My mother doesn’t want to hurt me and you don’t even know if she had anything to do with the horrendous acts on Malastare. How am I supposed to do my job locked away here?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t ignore orders.”

“Why? Is it too hard to think for yourself?” Regina sneers and Emma narrows her eyes, reminding herself that there’s no point in getting into a fight and that it’s only their frustrations making them act this way.

“Look, I understand that this isn’t easy for you, but it’s not my fault we’re stuck here and being mean isn’t gonna make this go any faster or smoother.”

Regina doesn’t reply or apologize, but Emma feels her remorse and frustrations as she walks away. 

Later when they have dinner, the brunette is back to being cordial, which is probably all the apology Emma’s going to get. At least it’s better than being on the receiving end of a cold shoulder.

#

It’s still dark outside as Regina steps into the kitchen to get a glass of water for her parched throat, the sky behind the mountains across the lake just beginning to lighten as she looks down at the thousands of lights shining brightly from the city center in the early morning.

“Hello, Darling.”

Regina gasps in surprise, the glass slipping from her fingers and shattering like thunder in the silence surrounding her.

“Mother,” she whispers, voice breaking. She turns around, heart pounding, throat tight, and her stomach twisting dangerously with sudden nausea and dread. Cora’s smile is dangerous as she opens her mouth to speak, sending a shiver down Regina’s back. But before she can get any further words out, Emma is rushing into the room, worry written across her sleep-rumpled features.

“Regina, what happened? Are you okay?” she asks frantically before she sees their unwelcome visitor. 

It only takes a second - Regina doesn’t even have time to draw breath to shout her warning - before Cora throws out her hand and sends Emma flying backwards. There’s a dull thud as she impacts with the wall and she releases a startled cry as the breath is slammed from her lungs.

“Mother, please don’t,” Emma briefly registers Regina say as she gasps, trying to ignore the pain and draw oxygen.

“I’m disappointed, Regina. I spent all this time making sure you would be Queen and this is how you repay me? By choosing rabble?” There’s no mistaking the sneer on Cora’s face as anything but disgust.

“Please, Mother, it’s not-” Regina starts desperately, reaching for the woman automatically, but she shrugs her off angrily.

“Silence!” Cora hisses as she gazes disapprovingly at her daughter. Emma sees the opportunity and doesn’t hesitate, summons the Force and releases her own telekinetic wave that blasts into the older woman.

Regina turns to her, wide eyed and petrified. “Emma, what are you doing?”

“Protecting you,” she offers back as she stumbles to her feet ungracefully and looks at Cora, already getting to her feet far more elegantly than Emma could ever hope to accomplish.

“No, Emma,” Regina is by her side in two quick steps so she can grip her forearm firmly. “You can’t beat her, no one can. We have to run.” 

Emma knows fleeing would be just as futile though. Cora clearly has it out for them, wants her gone and Regina to join her in whatever evil agenda she has, and there’s nowhere they can hide where she won’t eventually find them.

“It’s too late for that,” she replies as Cora brushes off her dress almost absentmindedly. She gives a smile that’s all teeth and looks, quite frankly, utterly terrifying.

“I don’t know where you find all these people so willing to die for you, dear, but I do believe I will enjoy this one a little more.”

Emma has just enough time to furrow her brows in confusion and wonder what the hell that means before Regina cries out in warning. She barely has time to shield herself from the wave that is thrown at her. The force of it is nearly overwhelming, the pressure of it something like having a fully grown Hutt trying to sit on you, and for the first time in a long while Emma fears this scenario is not something she’s likely to survive. It’s not death she’s afraid of as that is an inevitability she’s been taught to come to peace with since the early years of her training. Rather it’s that there’s still so much left for her to do in life, so much she has yet to experience.

“Mother, please stop this,” she hears Regina plead, but her voice is sounding far away, distorted somehow. She won’t be able to fight the crushing weight for long, the sheer force behind it more than any she’s ever experienced before. Emma wonders how Cora can be this powerful. Could she be a Sith, even though they’ve been taught they’re extinct?

“Please, Mother, I’ll do whatever you want.”

She’s shaking, a drop of sweat from her forehead finding it’s way into her eye, threatening to break her concentration with it’s sting. She needs to find a way to distract Cora, to go on the offensive and break her focus or she’s done. But there’s no way she can use less effort on her shield without finding out just how much pressure her body can handle before it’s crushed. She can already feel her energy fading fast, the edges around her closing in as her vision becomes blurry, so how the hell does Cora manage to keep this up without draining herself? Is this the power the Dark Side has to offer? 

She thinks she hears Regina scream before the waves pounding against her are suddenly gone. Her knees buckle and she tries to remain standing, finds herself slumping to the ground anyway, and she doesn’t understand what happened. Why would Cora stop when she was so close to finishing her off?

When she lifts her head and blinks her eyes she realizes Cora is getting up from the ground, looking at her daughter with a surprised sort of pride and she must have missed something important.

“Well, look who finally grew some backbone,” the woman is mocking, slowly making her way closer to her daughter, to Regina who looks as stunned as Emma feels, but also scared. She realizes she has to do something quickly.

“After all these years, after everything I’ve tried. I was beginning to fear you were a lost cause, but this, this is  _wonderful_ .” She’s so close to Regina now and no good can come of this. She has to get up, has to fight, keep her safe. Her legs need to start moving right now.

“Please, Mother, please stop.”

“Darling,” Cora says with a smile, raising her hand, and Emma tries to cry out as Regina flinches, tries to call on the Force to help keep her safe, but she’s too exhausted. She can’t believe the girl she might be falling in love with is about to die and she can’t do anything about it. 

But Cora simply lays her hand against Regina’s face, cradling her cheek in an unusually loving gesture as she proclaims, “Finally!” And for a long moment everything is silent. Then the woman takes a step back, lets her hand fall away and demands, “Do it again.”

“I don’t know how,” Regina responds, voice forlorn and eyes frantic, silently begging her mother to stop whatever this is.

“I believe I do,” Cora tells her with a smile as she turns back to Emma, still struggling to get up from the floor. “Do it again!” she commands just as Emma feels an invisible force lift her off the ground and wrap itself around her neck, tightening until she’s unable to draw breath.

“Again.” Cora orders, eyes alight with delight as the blonde starts audibly choking, grabbing at invisible bonds around her throat.

“I can’t!” Regina shouts, eyes wet and voice filled with despair. “Mother, _please_ , I can’t.” 

She forces her heartbeat to remain slow and steady to use as little of the remaining oxygen in her body as she can, but in the back of her mind she knows this is it. There’s no way out. She’s done.

“I’ll learn, Mother, I’ll be good, I promise. Just let her go.” 

Her mind is starting to get foggy, her vision shrivelling in and Cora has this damn smirk on her lips, like this is the most exciting thing she’s done in years.

“She’s dying, Regina. Aren’t you going to help her?”

“I’m trying, I’m trying,” Regina cries frantically, grabbing wildly for her mother in her despair. Cora shoots her a disapproving look and pushes her away with a wave of her hand and even in her last moments Emma finds herself in awe of the woman’s seemingly endless supply of energy.

She forces her eyes - she can barely see anymore and she’ll lose consciousness in a few moments for sure - to Regina, refusing to let Cora’s smug, satisfied look be her last living memory. Regina looks like she’s crying and shouting something, so many unreadable emotions on her face that Emma somehow understands because even in her final moments the Force seems to connect them. And then a wave of energy blasts from Regina, hitting Cora in the side and sending her flying through the window.

Emma has just enough time to ask herself how neither she nor any of the Masters ever picked up that Regina is Force sensitive before her world goes completely black.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

_Week 2, Month 7, 49 BBY - Alderaan_

The first thing she notices is something cool against her forehead. It’s pleasant. Her head has a dull ache. Her mouth is dry and her throat feels sore. She tries to open her eyes, but feels so, so tired, almost like she’s not fully awake yet, but somewhere between awareness and sleep. She thinks she hears Regina’s soft voice, but she can’t understand the words. She tries harder to force her eyes open. Her eyelids flutter and the coolness disappears from her forehead. At first all she sees is movement and blended colors, but there’s a relieved exclamation of “You’re awake!” that she manages to interpret. 

She blinks rapidly and squints, trying to focus her eyes and get rid of the blurriness. There are two Regina’s looking concerned down at her, but it’s better than nothing and she tries for a smile. “Hi,” she whispers before she coughs and releases an uncomfortable groan. “Ow.”

“Take it easy,” the Regina’s tell her as a cloth is placed on her forehead and Emma tries for a sheepish smile. The coldness soothes the headache a little and her eyes slowly regain their focus. Emma is pretty sure she’s never seen anything quite like Regina bending over her with concern, acting as caregiver. She sees no point in not letting the woman know so.

“You look beautiful like this.”

Regina frowns. “Like what?”

“Standing over me, playing nurse.”

“I think you hit your head too hard,” the brunette replies, but her fingertips caresses Emma’s cheek almost fondly. “Rest some more, you’ll feel better when you wake.”

“Mkay,” the blonde mumbles, eyes already drooping. 

#

The second time she wakes is with a scream on her lips, the feeling of suffocation thick in her throat and Cora’s cackling as she sucks the life from her ringing in her ears. Regina rushes into the room a moment later, fear and worry radiating off her as she grabs hold of Emma’s upper arm and mutters hurriedly, “It’s okay! You’re okay.”

“Cora! Where is she?” Emma gasps, struggling to get up. Regina grabs her shoulders and uses her weight to press her back down.

“She’s gone.”

“I need to find her, I need to keep you safe,” the blonde rambles, eyes searching wildly around them while fingers grip Regina’s arms tightly as she tries to wrestle away.

“Calm down,” Regina breathes, voice strained with the effort to keep the woman still, as she lets all her weight drop on top of the frantic woman. “We’re safe, calm down and I’ll explain.”

Emma ceases her struggle and forces herself to slow her breathing.

It takes her an embarrassingly long time to regain her composure, but when she does, she realizes that Regina is practically lying on top of her. And suddenly she’s acutely aware of how the woman’s thighs press firmly over her own hips. How Regina’s tightly bound breasts are straining against the fabric as she draws heavy breaths. How strands of hair have fallen down her face and are tickling against her own skin. And how her face is flushed beautifully from exertion, creating an sort of glow as she looks down at Emma.

The blonde barely dares to draw breath, afraid she’ll startle Regina away, as she feels her body grow hot at the intimacy of their position. Emma’s eyes glue themselves to painted lips as the woman’s tongue snakes out to wet her bottom one subconsciously, and when Regina shifts her hips just so to soothe the strain in her thighs, Emma has to suppress the gasp that tries to break free from her throat as her heart starts galloping in her chest.

The moment is ruined when Emma wriggles slightly to try to alleviate the sudden pressure low in her belly. Regina blinks, realizes just how much of a suggestive arrangement they’re in, and quickly scrambles to get off, smoothing her dress self-consciously as she stands. 

The tension in the air is so thick it’s almost palpable, but when she opens her mouth to speak, to try to lighten the mood, Emma can’t find her voice. So when Regina starts fussing over her, pretending like nothing’s happened, she’s more than happy to play along. But then she remembers what she saw just before she lost consciousness. 

“You have powers!” Emma blurts, bitterness and accusation in her voice, and Regina flinches before her face goes blank. Emma regrets her tone immediately as she recognizes the woman putting on a mask of casual indifference.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Regina replies almost petulantly, causing Emma to roll her eyes, wincing at the nausea it sparks as she sits up in bed.

“Cut the smart talk, okay? My head’s not up to it and I know what I saw.”

“You were barely conscious; half-dead. No one will believe you,” the brunette fires back without missing a beat and Emma feels a surge of defensiveness and frustration swell inside her. She almost snaps something she knows she’ll regret before getting a hold of herself. The last thing she wants to do is start a fight with Regina. She’s hurt and exhausted and if she wants to figure out what’s really going on here, she has to remain calm.

“Look,” she starts with a sigh and a sheepish shrug that she hopes conveys she doesn’t wish to argue. “I’m not accusing you of anything here. Having powers isn’t…It’s not a bad thing, okay? I just need to know what’s going on and why no one’s ever picked up your connection with the Force.” It feels like someone is hammering inside her head and whenever they talk it sounds more like shouting reverberating through her mind.

Regina releases a resigned sigh of her own, looking away for a moment as if steeling herself. She takes a breath and settles down on the edge of the bed, not far enough away to seem desperate to avoid the blonde, but not exactly close either. 

“No one’s ever noticed because I’ve spent most of my life hiding it,” she offers with a wry smile. “Pretending I was just like any other non-Force sensitive.” Her expression hardens as she spits out her next words. “Or, a  _disappointment_ , as Mother so meticulously reminded me.”

Emma can’t keep the image of Regina pleading with Cora to stop hurting her from flashing before her mind’s eye and before she can stop herself she blurts out, “I have dreams about you!” She blames the wild comment on her almost getting choked to death. It’s not her fault if she’s a little out of it.

“What?” Regina asks confused, eyes wide with bewilderment, and Emma grimaces as she rushes to explain and not sound like a total creep.

“I have dreams sometimes, of Cora hurting you, of you trying to reach out for help. The Council believes I have a connection with you, that’s why I could find you, why I always know when something is wrong.” Yeah, that didn’t sound freaky at all.

Silence surrounds them for long moments as they assess each other, before Regina prods, face unreadable, “What kind of dreams  _exactly_ ?” For some reason the way she says it makes Emma want to blush so she hurries to explain herself.

“In one, Cora kept you extended above ground in a choke-hold, telling you to focus on all your fear and desperation to break free.” When she looks at Regina to gauge her reaction the woman looks paler. “Another time she was using the Force to shock you with lightning and you begged her, promised you’d be a good girl, if she just stopped.”

Emma finishes abruptly when Regina raises a hand in warning and looks like she’s going to be ill. “Are you okay?” she asks carefully, suddenly regretting recounting such horrid scenes as it’s clearly unsettling for the brunette. “I didn’t mean to upset you. They’re only dreams,” she consoles, hoping to offer some comfort.

“They’re not though,” Regina whispers, voice breaking, and Emma furrows her brows in confusion, but before she can open her mouth and ask what she’s talking about, Regina continues. “They’re memories.”

Emma blinks once, twice, throat starting to feel a little parched as her heart-beat doubles it’s rate. “What?” she croaks.

“They’re not just dreams, they’re memories. _My_ memories,” Regina admits reluctantly, raising her chin slightly as if she’s trying to appear stoic or untouched by this whole thing. Emma can’t say she shares the feeling. 

“You…” she clears her throat uncomfortably. “It’s  _real_? These things actually happened to you?” 

There’s a moment where anger and anguish pass over delicate features, but as quickly as they appear they’re gone, Regina’s whole posture growing stiff and her eyes taking on a glassy quality. “Mother only did what she thought was best,” she replies and it sounds mechanical, leaving no doubt in Emma’s mind that this is a phrase the brunette has repeated a thousand times before. “She only wants for me to have the best; to  _be_ the best.”

“That’s bullshit, Regina,” Emma bites back, anger rising quickly inside her as she knows it’s a product of Cora having spent years and years abusing Regina, grooming her, making her believe it’s normal. “That woman is heartless and she doesn’t deserve to be defended by you. What she’s done to you is not something a mother should do to their child, to anyone. Cora is a monster and there’s no excuse for what she’s done.”

“My mother loves me,” she reasons automatically and Emma has to consciously tell herself to try and remain calm.

“Yeah? She has a funny way of showing it.”

The silence that envelops them is oppressive and uncomfortable. Eventually, when she feels strong enough, Emma mutters an excuse and leaves, taking deep breaths and forcing herself to meditate away her pain and worry.

#

“When I was nine, Mother gave me a necklace,” Regina tells her softly later as they’re getting ready for bed, pulling something carefully from within the folds of her dress and showing it to Emma. 

_When she’d calmed down she’d found Regina and asked her about Cora. The brunette told her she sought out Emma’s Master once she’d made sure Emma was still alive, and that he’d contacted the Royal House of Alderaan as soon as he learned what had happened. They’d stationed guards around the building and sent out a search party for Cora’s body. Regina’s breathing had hitched on the word ‘body’ and Emma had felt pain, grief, anger and confusion roll off the brunette and bury itself deep inside her own chest. When Regina told her they didn’t find it, there’d been equal parts relief and dread in her voice and Emma had taken two quick steps forward to lay her hand gently against her arm, trying to offer comfort and understanding._

She stares at the translucent gem in apprehension for a long time, transfixed. Without fully comprehending why she lets her hand creep forward, as if to touch it, but manages to stop herself in time before her fingers reach the smooth, green tetragon.

“That’s a crystal. Used by Jedi to power their lightsabers.” She proclaims in sudden comprehension and Regina nods her confirmation.

“I didn’t understand at the time but my mothe- _Cora_ , took it from a Jedi she killed and gave it to me in the hope that it would strengthen my connection with the Force. Give me powers where I had displayed none. She told me it would make me strong.”

“Did it?” Emma asks with a frown. She wonders which Jedi it belonged to.

Regina chuckles ruefully and shakes her head. “At first I was terrified. I thought I was going crazy because I kept hearing whispers wherever I went. It took me a while to realize it was coming from the crystal.”

“The Jedi was speaking to you? How is that possible?” Emma breathes, voice full of wonder as she tries to think of anything she might have learned at the Academy that could help her understand.

Regina smiles balefully at her. “I thought maybe the powers my mother had were something close to a living entity and that its darkness were beckoning me, trying to take control.” Amusement shines from her eyes at the wild imagination of her younger self. “I hadn’t even had my tenth birthday. But I didn’t dare remove the necklace as Mother had forbidden it. You already know what kind of consequences disobedience like that would have garnered.” They both grimace. “Eventually I resigned myself to my fate and tried to communicate with it.” When Regina smiles it looks almost sentimental, fond. “It wasn’t anything as sinister as that though. I learned later that when Cora killed the Jedi, part of his life force embedded itself within the crystal.”

Emma feels ridiculous as she gapes, but it’s all she can manage at the incredulity of the story. Regina notices and offers her an amused smile. “For a long time he was the only reason I managed to stand up to her, even if I only did so silently. Mother didn’t know of course or she’d have put an end to it quickly, but he is what got me through all her ‘lessons’. He always told me that as long as I resisted, one day things would be better.”

#

“Are you going to tell the Council?” Regina asks, worry furrowing her brows as she fiddles with the delicate folds of her dress.

“I don’t know.”

She bites her lip before blurting out, “I don’t want you to tell them!” As soon as the words have left her mouth she looks contrite, like her outburst is unfitting of the perfect Queen Cora has raised her to be. Emma’s pretty sure she’s perfect despite her flaws, maybe even because of them. Perfect to her at least. Maybe she should tell Regina that. Would she dare? How would a declaration like that be received?

“The Jedi could teach you to master the Force.”

“I don’t want to master it, I want to continue pretending it’s not inside me. Using it is what Mother wishes and I don’t want-” Regina stops abruptly as she realizes what she’s admitting out loud.  _I don’t want to be like her_ . Emma gives what she hopes is an encouraging and understanding smile.

“The Force is neither light nor dark. It depends on the purpose and intent of the person wielding it.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Regina responds curtly with a roll of her eyes, like she’s heard it a dozen times before and Emma realizes she probably has; from the Jedi in the crystal, and she feels a little stupid as she mutters an apology. It seems enough to soften the other woman though.

“Is he...Is he here with us now?”

Regina gives her a smile that says ‘don’t be ridiculous’ and Emma looks down, embarrassed. “He’s not actually  _in_ the crystal, it’s just how he chose to manifest himself to me. His spirit is free to go wherever the Force is.”

“We’ve not been taught that there’s conscious life after death,” Emma explains, feeling the need to defend her ignorance and not look like a total idiot.

“As far as I’m aware, it’s not exactly a common occurrence,” Regina answers with a quirk of her lips. “It’s kind of a secret actually.” Her words make Emma feel a little better.

The silence that follows is a little awkward and when their eyes meet they both quickly look away. Emma works hard to fight the heat she can feel rising in her cheeks, trying desperately to think of a safe topic that will keep the conversation between them flowing pleasantly. Regina beats her to it.

“How did you come to train with the Jedi? You’ve never told me your story.”

Emma fights back the urge to say that’s because she’s never bothered to ask but bites her tongue, knowing better than to close her window of opportunity to have an honest conversation with the usually reserved brunette.

“Master Nolan found me when I was five. He was on a mission for the Jedi Council on Tatooine and saw me defend a boy from some bullies on the street.” Regina makes a cooing sound and Emma feels her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “I told them off, but they wouldn’t leave so I punched them. Afterwards he told me that he liked my spirit, but that brute strength would get turned against me when I grew older. He offered to teach me how to use my opponent’s weakness against them.” She shrugs self-consciously. “I was an orphan so it’s not like I had anything better to do. If I stayed I would have been sold as a slave.”

“You don’t have any family?”

“The Jedi are my family.”

#

“What did they say?” Regina questions carefully when Emma returns from her holocall, her eyes silently asking, _how much did you tell them about me?_ The blonde worries her bottom lip as she tries to think of the best way to tell Regina the unsettling news that they didn’t find a body so there’s a possibility Cora is still out there; alive and waiting for another opportunity to strike. She decides to go for the direct approach.

“They haven’t found anything. Cora might be hiding or fleeing, we don’t know much yet. But whatever her plans are, she definitely wants  _you_ by her side. ” The brunettes inhales sharply and Emma moves her hand up and down soothingly. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.”

“Safe?” Regina asks incredulously, taking a step back as her face grows hard. “I was supposed to be safe here; look how well that turned out.”

“I’ll protect you,” the blonde promises resolutely. “Now that we know what we’re up against- “

“You don’t understand,” Regina cuts her off frantically. “There’s no hiding from my mother.” She releases a short laugh that sounds half maniacal. “Mother always gets her way. It’s just a matter of time. She’ll always find me.”

“Maybe, but so will I.” Regina furrows her brows in confusion. “I don’t know how or why, but for some reason the Force connects us.” Emma assures her with a smile and takes the brunette’s hand between hers. “I’m never gonna let Cora get hold of you, but even if she does, even if she took you to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, I’d still be able to find you.” Regina’s eyes are shining, like she’s about to cry, but she’s smiling too. The blonde doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or not so she decides it’s probably best to offer further reassurances just in case. “If you’re lost, I’ll always come for you.”

“Always?” she whispers hopefully, taking a step closer so they’re in each other’s personal space, and Emma nods her head vigorously as she promises fiercely.

“ _Always_.”

Regina’s eyes shine brightly as they stare into her own. And then her gaze flickers down to her lips and Emma feels her heartbeat double it’s speed as excitement burns through her veins. It would be so easy to lean forwards, to close the remaining few inches between them and find out what the woman’s lips taste like. 

She shifts carefully and lets her hand run up the brunette’s arm until she can brush her fingers softly against her cheek. Regina closes her eyes briefly and breathes deeply through her nose. Emma makes up her mind. She’s going for it. Regina looks so beautiful, eyes dancing and lips slightly parted, and she licks her own and leans in further, her eyes fluttering closed as the heady rush of expectation courses through her body.

Expectation that turns to dread when Regina turns her head to the side at the last second so her lips touch a pronounced cheekbone instead. She draws back quickly as embarrassment flushes her face and she silently kicks herself for being a complete idiot.

“Em-ma,” Regina breathes and it sends a shiver down her spine despite her current wish for the ground to swallow her whole. “We shouldn’t.”

“Why, because of you mother?” she asks and it comes out sounding more bitter than she intends, but her pride has been hurt and this is not the scenario she envisioned at all.

“Because you’re a Jedi. Isn't emotional entanglement against the code?”

“There have been several Jedi who married and had families,” she argues, arms crossing defiantly, and Regina gives her a small smile, but it looks almost sad.

“Yes, but they married for political gain or to further their blood-line. No one did it for love because the Jedi believe it will cloud your judgment. You are to think of the many instead of the few. You know this.” 

Of course she does, but that doesn’t mean she agrees with it. “So lets be the first to prove them wrong.”

“It’s not that easy, Emma. Have you even thought this through? You could be kicked out. You might never get to become a Jedi. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

Emma doesn’t understand why Regina is being so difficult. She can choose just fine on her own. It’s not like she’s not used to dealing with everything alone. “Being a Jedi doesn’t matter. I want to be with you.” Regina releases a frustrated sigh, eyebrows knit together and lips pursed in displeasure.

“Well, it matters to me. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t get to fulfill your dreams. Sooner or later you’ll grow to resent me for it.”

“It’s my decision to make.”

The  brunette huffs, hands moving to her hips automatically to appear more authoritative. “Yes, but not right now. Right now you’re not thinking clearly, you’re letting your emotions guide your actions.”

Emma grinds her teeth in frustration. She doesn’t understand how it went so bad between them so quickly. “My feelings for you are the reason you’re here in the first place and not with those kidnappers. WIthout my connection to you, it would have taken a lot more time to figure out where you were and get you out,” she exclaims hotly. Regina is being totally unreasonable.

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this, you refuse to see the bigger picture.”

“I just don’t understand why I can’t have both. I can be with you and still do my job, my duty. My feelings for you are not a hinderance, they’re an aid.”

“Emma-” A sudden thought strikes her and her stomach falls sickeningly as she realizes the reason Regina is arguing so adamantly against the idea of a them.

“Do you not feel for me, is that why you’re being like this? Because if you don’t just say so, don’t-”

“I feel for you, Emma, of course I do. Don’t be an idiot,” Regina cuts her off exasperatedly, crossing her arms and giving the blonde a wholly unimpressed look.  

She gives Regina a sheepish look in silent apology as she bites her lip and fiddles with her robe and the saber at her side. “Oh,” she breathes because she had  _hoped_ , but how could she have been sure? How can she be sure even now? “Like in a sister sort of way?” she asks timidly with a hint of heat in her cheeks as she side-eyes the brunette shyly.

Regina’s grin is mockery and condescension all rolled into one and Emma looks away quickly, embarrassed. She misses the way Regina practically glides closer to her, not raising her gaze until soft fingers grasp her chin firmly. Her mouth parts in surprise, but before she can say anything Regina leans forward. Emma’s eyes close automatically as painted lips press against her own and she jumps when she feels a hint of tongue, fumbles a moment, before she opens her mouth wider to allow the woman to do, well, whatever she wants. 

Regina is smirking, she feels it against her own lips. Before she can feel self-conscious about it though, Regina pushes impossibly closer and on instinct she meets the tip of her tongue with her own. It feels...kind of exhilarating actually. Her stomach feels fluttery, her heart is beating a little erratically and her body feels alight with energy.

Emma finds herself drawn to the feeling, allowing her own tongue to explore, to push Regina’s back so she can run her own over her teeth in exploration. And the brunette makes a small noise in the back of her throat, like a pleased hum, that vibrates against her.

She breaks away when she feels suddenly breathless, eyes wide and bewildered as they take in the blissful look on sun-kissed features. She’s pretty sure her legs almost give out when Regina’s lashes flutter open, her eyes unfocused and much darker than normal.

“Well,” Regina offers after a moment of silence between them, her voice sounding as winded as Emma feels. She clears her throat before asking the blonde playfully, “would sisters do that?”

Emma blushes when Regina traces her thumb over her lips and she realizes she’s probably wiping away the lip paint transferred during their kiss.

“I want you, Emma,” Regina whispers, sending shivers down the woman’s spine. “But we have to figure out if it’s even a possibility, or if it would only serve to destroy our futures. There’s the Council and my mother. We need some time to think about this with clear heads to figure out what we want.”

Emma’s pretty sure she’s unable to find her voice when Regina is standing this close, looking at her so intensely and smelling so good. She has to swallow thrice before she’s able to nod her head and whisper back in a gravelly voice. “Okay.” 

When they part, there's an awkwardness between them, neither knowing what to make of each other or how to behave. Emma tries her hardest to appear casual and like she’s not desperately thinking about how she wants to taste Regina again, run her fingers through her hair so Regina can look as dishevelled as she feels. She doesn’t dare try to initiate or assume anything though. She doesn’t need time to figure out what she wants; she wants Regina. But if the brunette needs it, she can be patient. If she isn’t, Regina might change her mind, might retreat because she feels pushed, and that’s the last thing she wishes.

They both look a little too relieved when her Master contacts her that evening and tells them they’ll be leaving first thing come morning. 

Emma doesn’t agree with the Jedi Council’s decision to send her back to Coruscant while Regina returns to her own home planet Naboo, but it’s not like she has any real say on the matter. The Council doesn’t feel it’s a good use of resources when the searches they’ve conducted on Alderaan and its closest planets have yielded no sign of Cora.

They don’t know how she managed to hide her Force-sensitivity from them – Emma thinks she did the right thing not telling the Council or her Master about Regina since she’s having a rough enough time with all that’s happened and what it might mean without their prying – but it’s given them the perfect excuse to say that just because they haven’t found a body that doesn’t mean Cora can’t be dead. Some Jedi have been known to simply vanish when they become one with the Force. Emma knows it’s just an excuse, can feel it in her gut that Cora is still alive.

Unfortunately, Regina had been all too willing to agree with them, no doubt wishing to go home and get on with her life and duties. She’d tried convincing Emma that her guards will keep her safe, that they know what they’re doing. And yes, they probably do, but they’re not trained in the Force and probably won’t stand a chance if Cora decides she wants to get to her daughter again.

* * *

_ Week 3, Month 7, 49 BBY - Jedi Temple, Coruscant _

“Is there a law or code that forbids Jedi from having relationships?” Emma asks Master Nolan. 

When she’d returned, she searched the Archives for any examples of successful relationships, but she’d come up empty. The texts always warned that it usually led a Jedi down the dark path, never mentioning the times it hadn’t. And being patient is driving her crazy. It’s been almost six days. Six days wondering if Regina is having second thoughts, if she’d played Emma, if Cora has gotten her hands on her. If, if, if.

“Nothing written down, if that’s what you’re asking,” he tells her and there’s this look in his eyes, like he knows exactly why she’s asking. “Tell me what you really want to know.”

Emma worries her bottom lip between her teeth as she contemplates the repercussions of telling her Master everything. There’s really no other way for her to find what she’s looking for though, and if she has to put her trust in anyone, he’s her best option. He’s the closest thing she’s had to a father-figure and he’s never given her a reason not to trust him.

“If I were to consider a relationship with someone, would it be allowed?”

He sighs and offers her an understanding smile. “I don’t know, Emma.” He only calls her by name when they’re in private, discussing something serious. “It’s a general belief in the Jedi Order that relationships can make a person more susceptible to the Dark Side.” She opens her mouth to protest, but he silences her with a warning look. “But there have been a few instances through history where it didn’t lead to disaster.”

“So it’s a possibility?” She questions him eagerly, hope rising.

“It’s not impossible, no. But the odds aren’t in your favor and if you want to do it right, you’ll have to go to the Council and get their blessing. It is not easy to hide things from the Council and they do not appreciate dishonesty.”

Get their blessing? Emma doubts she can do that. What arguments could she possibly come up with that don’t sound ridiculous or juvenile? Regina is the talker, not her. And she doubts Regina has time for her worries, probably having enough issues with her own life. Also, there’s the fact she’s secretly terrified if she contacts her, Regina will tell her it’s best if they don’t see each other anymore, that it was all a mistake. 

“It will work itself out, I’m sure,” he tells her with a friendly pat on the shoulder, leaving her to her thoughts.

#

It is most definitely not working itself out, Emma thinks bitterly as she feigns a punch with her left hand at Neal, before putting all her weight behind the right. He grunts at the force of it, even through his protective gear.

She’d paced the Academy for two days after her conversation with Master Nolan before giving in and sending a holo-message to Regina, requesting her council. It had yielded her no answers as to what course of action she should take, the woman only offering that she couldn’t make any decisions for Emma and warning her that if she chose to ask the Jedi Council it was doubtful to result in a positive outcome.

And so she’d tried to meditate on what she should do, if she dared ask permission at all and what arguments she could provide that might sway their verdict.  She hadn’t come up with much. Still, Regina hadn’t told her not to pursue a solution. And that meant there was still hope for  _them_ , and Emma wanted that, maybe more than anything she’d ever wanted. Regina had been with her for so long through the Force and her dreams that she couldn’t fathom not having her in her life when she knew it was a possibility. 

She’d tried to address Master Yoda privately, but she’d barely gotten two words out before he interrupted her and told her to appear before the Council at dawn, like he knew already. Emma had felt sick to her stomach as she nodded her head.

She ducks Neal’s jab and uses her momentum to slam her knee into his sternum as she recalls the Council’s decision, remembers Yoda’s words.

_“If choose this path you do, find chaos and pain you shall. Support a union the Council cannot.”_

It’s insanity. They barely even let her talk, never gave her a chance to point out that it had been done before by others who did not fall to the Dark Side. How could love be wrong? Her feelings for Regina were the reason she was able to find her so quickly. Thinking of Regina is what made her connect to the Force in a way she’d scarcely ever managed a handful of times before. Her devotion to Regina is what made her strong, not weak.

She feels the anger and frustration bubble up inside her a moment too late and the next punch she throws flings Neal backwards. He releases a surprised cry before he hits the ground and groans. “What the hell was that, Swan?” he asks when she runs over and helps him quickly to his feet.

“I’m sorry, Neal, I didn’t mean to use the Force on you.”

“Are you okay?” he asks her once they’ve made sure he’s still whole and Emma quirks her lips in wry amusement. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Something is clearly going on with you and I know we’ve had our differences, but I want you to know, Emma, I have your back, okay?”

“I know,” she tells him with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. “I’m just starting to wonder if the Jedi really are as wise and knowing as they say. The Council has made some odd decisions lately and I can’t help but wonder what else they might be keeping from us.” 

“If they are I’m sure it’s for a good reason.”

Emma nods her head thoughtfully. “Maybe.”

* * *

_ Week 4, Month 7, 49 BBY - Royal Palace, Naboo _

“Emma!” Regina exclaims with a gasp, clutching the robe tighter against herself on instinct as she exits the bathroom. “What the hell are you doing here?” she hisses as the blonde stands quickly, eyes roaming over darker features before looking away with a faint blush, embarrassed that she couldn’t wait any longer to see her and clearly interrupted a private moment. “And how the hell did you get past my guards?”

“Mind Trick,” Emma tells her with a sheepish smile. “I told you they weren’t good enough.” She quickly grows serious as she remembers why she came here in the first place. “I had to see you, talk to you,” she offers softly, keeping her gaze resolutely on the wall to show her respect in case the brunette feels modest. She’s never really been all that self-conscious with her own body as privacy is often scarce at the Academy. “I fear I might lose my mind if I don’t.” Regina’s surprised face morphs into one of disappointed acknowledgment.

“It went that badly?”

“It’s bullshit,” Emma tells her, their eyes locking, and the fire that burns there almost takes Regina’s breath away. “I want to prove them wrong.”

“Emma, are you sure about this?”

“You said I needed time to calm down, time to think. Well, I’ve thought about it and my answer is still the same. I want to be with you. I want  _you_ , Regina.” There’s no uncertainty or hesitance on Emma’s face and it sends her heart galloping.

“We’d have to be careful, keep it a secret,” she tells the blonde as she takes a step closer. Emma mimics her.

“Of course. I don’t care as long as I get to be with you. Us knowing is enough until we can prove to the Council that they are wrong.” 

“My mother used to tell me that love is weakness,” she tells her with a soft sigh as their hands find one another.

“Do I make you feel weak?” Emma breathes and she’s so close to the other woman that she can feel her breath ghost over her own lips.

“No,” Regina whispers back, palm cupping the blonde’s cheek.

“Love isn’t weakness, Regina. Love is  _strength_. When I think of you I feel like I can accomplish anything. How can that be wrong?”

The only answer Regina offers is to close the remaining distance between them and fuse their lips together. Emma knows it won’t be easy, that they have a lot of obstacles to face; the Council, Regina’s mother, probably others too. But she has to believe they can overcome them together. She has to believe in the possibility of a happy ending. No, not an ending, she reminds herself, smiling into their kiss. 

A beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to offer a few words of praise to the people organizing the SQBB, and all those who participated. This has been my first year participating and I was such a wreck, but everyone has been so positive and encouraging and supportive.  
>   
> It's the first time I've committed myself to a bigger project and it has been such a great experience. I feel like I have learned so much and I've loved the chat-wars and the passion and all the effort people have put into this.
> 
> We truly are a wonderful community and I cannot express my words of gratitude and pride.


End file.
